Another Cliched Fairy Tale
by BlackWinterFlower
Summary: Every princess needs a prince right? The protagonist is a hardworking princess who has something to prove to her parents. Prince Sting is a lethargic prince who has little care for his kingdom. A single bet will change everything for them and their associates. StingxOC/RoguexOC/Nalu/Gruvia/Jerza/Gale/Many other ships
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer Note:**_

I own none of these characters except my own characters. All the other Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 1: Meaning of Life**_

The story usually starts out with our female protagonist waking up from her peaceful slumber only to be slapped in the face with the reality of being terribly late. This leads to her scrambling out of the door looking like a mistake, with her breakfast of a single piece of toast in her mouth, only to crash into her Prince Charming who helps her into school. She falls in love at first sight and does everything she possibly can to achieve her happily ever after. However, the protagonist of this story got up in time and had already eaten breakfast before leaving the house for school. The major difference here is that our protagonist, Princess Cadance Celestia Hoshino Namazaki, hated love and it was the last thing she needed in life.

Despite being a princess, she actually had to go to school. In fact, all the growing heirs and royalty in the continent had to go to school. The continent had been split into many kingdoms and Celestia's kingdom belonged in an alliance known as Fairy Tail. Her kingdom was located in the Fiore District which spilt her into Magnolia Academy. This Magnolia Academy was a joint school which meant it had a elementary, junior high, high school, college, and university too but Celestia had transferred in around the beginning of her first year in junior high since her parents wanted to raise her themselves. However, she was honestly grateful to be transferred in even though it was so late because she was sick of being stuck at home with her parents, locked in a room with her stuffy old tutor who couldn't teach jack shit. But even though she was looking forward to going to school with kids her own age, the motive of her parents for suddenly transferring her deflated her motivation significantly.

It was now the beginning of her second year of high school and she was more than ready to escape from the castle. Earlier that morning, she finished getting dressed in her school uniform and preparing her materials for school before heading into the dining room for her morning discussion with her parents, the current king and queen of the Kagayaku Kingdom. Closing her eyes, she let out a huge sigh as she used her index finger and thumb to pinch and massage her forehead. Just thinking about the conversation gave her a headache.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" Celestia cracked open an eye and one of her rare smiles slipped across her face as her gaze landed on her worried lady-in-waiting.

Shaking her head, she lowered her hand as she lightly reassured the other, "It's fine. I'm just annoyed with my parents. They gave me their ridiculous talk again." Her smile then dropped as her eyes squinted into a fake glare and her voice changed into a delicate chiding tone, "Also what did I say about calling me Your Highness. Celestia is just fine as it is. We're best friends, Hatsune so there's no need to be so formal."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! But it's hard to call you that because you're royalty and all.." Hatsune's face suddenly balled up and tears piled up at the waterline of her big bright green eyes. Celestia's smile didn't waver as she pulled a handkerchief out from her sleeve and dabbed the tears away just as smoothly as she had brandished it out.

"Hatsune, you know it's not good to cry now. You're going to make your eyes red and that's not a pretty look." She softly reprimanded her and smoothed back her hair as she let Hatsune wipe her tears away herself. Hatsune slowly nodded her head and soon switched to a big bright smile as she used the handkerchief to wipe the remaining tears away.

"Everything alright in here? I thought I heard Hatsune crying. Was it your parents again, Celest?" A head of black hair popped in from the window of the carriage and the said person blew her purple streaked bangs out of her face as she awaited an answer.

"Yeah, they were trying to get me to wear this ridiculous wig with my old hair color and telling me to find a nice boy this year." She sighed and crossed one of her long legs over the other as her eyes landed on the wretched wig her parents had handed to her which was now sitting on the seat next to her. It definitely looked authentic with its silky texture and smooth flow but she felt so artificial wearing it as if she was lying about who she was.

The reasoning was the same as always. Her parents were desperate to marry her off since she's "of the age" or some bullshit like that. Unfortunately to them, she's a sort of a disgrace to the family because of the color of her hair and her younger sister, who did have the hair color the family worshipped, was too young to marry off. Plus it was tradition for the oldest to rule and it was valid since Celestia was one of the royal blood though the cause of change of hair color is unknown.

"Honestly your parents should seriously lay off your case. It wouldn't hurt for you to rule the kingdom by yourself. From what I've seen, all the princes don't even know how to command a three man army much less run an economy and society." The girl hanging on the carriage door casually insulted the current princes and was now dangerously dangling her legs off the side of the carriage. Hatsune nodded her head in agreement before her face immediately scrunched up again and her dainty eyebrows coursed downwards in furious strokes, "HOW DARE THEY TRY TO COVER UP YOUR HAIR LIKE THAT? I DON'T FUCKING CARE IF IT'S AGAINST THEIR DAMN TRADITION! YOUR HAIR IS PRETTY JUST AS IT IS AND SCREW BOYS, THEY'RE JUST STINKY RATS ANYWAYS."

She balled her fists together and started ranting about how irresponsible her parents were and Celestia's small smile grew into a larger one as she drank in the comfort of her two best and only needed friends. "I appreciate the effort you guys put into cheering me up. It really helps and it's okay that they don't approve of my hair Hatsune. My folks are old and superstitious but honestly I don't really care because I love my hair color. Your words do save me a lot, Hatsune. I'm glad I picked you as my lady-in-waiting" She then turned her head to face the girl hanging out the carriage window and asked in a worrying tone, "Yuuta, I know you've done this a million times and all but it's still dangerous and I worry. Come sit with us inside the carriage."

Yuuta frowned at the request as she liked the sense of freedom and adrenaline she got from the action she committed. However when she saw the serious expression on the princess' face, she shrug and swung herself over the door of the carriage before plopping herself right next to Hatsune. "Happy?" She asked as she dusted off her sleeve. "Very much actually though I don't think the instructors will be when they see your uniform." She replied in a smooth manner.

Despite that all three of them are in different classes of society they all wore the same uniform for school with their own special modifications of course. The female uniform consisted of a sweater worn in the colors of a light dusty yellow or dark red which is worn over a white collared blouse tied with a ribbon of choice. A dark black blazer could be worn but is not required and the bottom portion of the uniform consists of a black skirt with a thin line of gold across the folds, socks of choice (black or white preferably), and school shoes of choice although it's recommended that you don't wear anything too fancy. The male uniform was basically the same as the females'. Same white button down shirt with a choice of a blazer or sweater in the same colors except yellow. A black or red tie is required to be worn with slacks of any color of choice (black is the desired color). The rules for shoes are the same too.

Celestia, having the pressure of being the perfect image, wore the uniform as desired (though she refused the wig) with the white collar of the shirt being tied together with a yellow-orange ombre ribbon loosely but securely. A red sweater was thrown over the blouse and she choose to wear the blazer without it buttoned up. The socks she choose to wear were black as recommended and were knee high but if you looked really closely, you would be able to see star designs carefully stitched. Ready to study, her bangs were swept to the side and clipped back with pins as the top portion of her hair was pulled back pinned in place with mere plain black clasp. Her petite feet were tucked into a pair of black wedges with little star clusters as clasps on the straps. On her face perched a pair of thick black framed fake glasses which hide her face from view.

Hatsune wore the uniform more loosely and girly as she ditched the blazer and wore a big long sleeved baggy yellow sweater over her blouse with a big red ribbon tied at the collar. Her hair was left alone after a simple brush as it hung in it's usual curly mess over her shoulders and down her back while the socks she wore matched her ribbon except they were more of a shin length. And the shoes she choose to wear were dainty black flats.

Free and sloopy is how you would describe Yuuta's way of wearing the uniform. She was image of how you shouldn't wear the uniform. She too didn't wear the blazer and her red sweater was instead wrapped around her waist. Her blouse didn't have a ribbon, instead with the top button undone, and she adapted the male version of the uniform and wore black slacks instead of the skirt. The shoes she wore were worn out sneakers and her blacks socks were unseen because of the slacks. Her long black hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail except for her purple bangs which fit her tomboyish style and there was mysteriously a white eyepatch covering up her right eye.

At that moment in the carriage, Celestia was adding one more addition to her uniform which was sliding on a pair of black shorts under the black skirt. But her parents, power hungry and love bitten as they were, encouraged Celestia to go without it to attract men with her "stunning bod" which she refused to ever do and their encouragement only lead to her promising to never go without it. Yuuta was also an overprotective mother to Celestia and was ready to force her to wear the shorts even if she didn't want to. When she caught Celestia's eye as she was putting them on, she gave her a nod of approval. Hatsune at the moment was staring at the wig and she curled one of the long straight strands around her finger as she asked thoughtfully, "Hey looking at this wig makes me wonder how Yuuki would look like crossdressed… I wonder what he would like with this on…"

The carriage was filled with complete silence for a few seconds as Cheshire Cat grins spread across the faces of the girls.

"That my friend is a brilliant plan."

 _ **Author's Note:**_

Hello! I am new to this website and I wanted to try publishing my own work. I know a lot of people usually do not like fanfiction with other's OC but I hope some people would read and maybe even like my work. Who knows? Maybe no body will even read my work hahahaha.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ch 2: Difference**_

Magnolia Academy was not your average private school. Well not all private school were normal anyways but Magnolia Academy was certainly different. For one, the students were the next rulers and subjects of those rulers which included princes and princes, nobles, and knights in training. Despite being a prestigious school, the rules and curriculum were quite lenient and the students were allowed to engage in any subjects and extracurricular they wanted as long as they completed the minimum of what was required of their class. When the carriage arrived at the gates of the school, it dropped off the three girls right in front of the opened gates where they were given flash drives holding their schedules and possible options for extracurricular from several of the leadership and office workers positioned there.

About half of each their schedules were the same. Their first period consisted of world history and their second period consisting of learning proper etiquette for all except third period consisted of a more extensive explanation for Hatsune and Celestia. Yuuta then switched for her third period which is weapon practice/training and then they all have their lunch break together. They switch off during fourth period as Celestia and Yuuta head off for Physical Education which Hatsune was banned by the two of them from. Fourth period is Music for her as she always loved singing and playing instruments. Yuuta and Hatsune have fifth period together which was Home Economics. While Yuuta definitely would rather be dead than caught inside that class, she knew how clumsy Hatsune was and decided to follow her. Celestia's fifth period was Weapon Practice/Training and her sixth period was Languages. Similarly, Yuuta's sixth period is also Language while Hatsune has her elective which is drama. Their seventh period consists of Celestia's elective which is Astronomy, Yuuta's self-defense class, and Hatsune's Language class.

They were satisfied with their schedules and the trio headed in the general directions of their lockers. While their schedules were satisfactory, the positions of their lockers were much less. The lockers were not separated by class but grade but even though the three were in the same grade, their lockers were still too far apart to be considered close. Stupid office ladies.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 3: Flies Are Annoying**_

Using her lithe fingers, Celestia expertly turned the dial of the lock and entered in her combination correctly the first time before opening the creaky metal door of her locker to the right. She shoved her school bag inside of it and remembering her schedule, she took out a notebook and her pencil case from the bag for her first period. Her eyes skimmed over her locker as she thought of how she wanted to decorate it to her convenience. She quickly made mental note of bringing a small calendar along with some two sided tape with a few other clutter-like objects.

Finished making her mental list, she backed up a few steps to locate where her two friends were before the warning bell rang. Glancing to her left at first, she immediately saw the bob of Yuuta's long black ponytail about four lockers down. She then turned to the right and after a brisk look, she concluded Hatsune wasn't there as there were a sea of every other color hair except purple. She knew Hatsune entered this corridor of lockers with them and moved onto the row of lockers behind her. She found Hatsune positioned three lockers to the left behind her opposite of Yuuta and raised an eyebrow when she saw the excited glint in her eyes and the way she slightly leaned on her toes, rocking back and forth.

 _Oh god she seems to have something planned._ Celestia thought to herself as she brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. Knowing that Hatsune probably had some elaborate plan, she decided to quickly close her locker and go over to Hatsune to ask her about what she was thinking. However as soon as she turned around and reached out to close her locker door, the metal door suddenly rushed forward and if Celestia hadn't quickly shoved arms out in reflex, it would have caught her hard in the face. _What the fuck- Who the hell did that?_ She angrily thought in her head as she rubbed the slightly sore spot where the door hit her forearm. Wanting to find out who or what was the cause, she moved the locker door out of her way and left it an inch away from the frame.

In front of her was a blonde male who was maybe a head or so taller than Celestia and had his back to her as he was chatting to his friends quite animatedly. Taking a deep breath, she knew that it would be rash to chew him out for doing that but was going to give him a warning as it wasn't too out of line.

"Excuse me." She called out politely but her statement was ignored as the male continued talking to his friends. _Are you fucking kidding me-_ She took a deep breath and paused. Quickly cooling her head, she exhaled her held breath before trying again in a slightly louder voice, "Excuse me I have something I want to discuss with you." Once again, she was not heard and her words were laid to waste. Celestia's real temper has yet to be blown and she didn't let it get the best of her. Honestly she didn't really care that he hit her with the locker, it was more of the fact he was so oblivious about the situation that annoyed her. Looking down, she wondered if she should just leave him alone when she got an idea from the notebook in her arms.

Ripping out a page, she closed her locker door all the way and locked it before using it as a desk for the paper. With a big black marker, she wrote "Watch Where Your Fat Ass Is Going You Pinhead" in big scraggly letter and beleaguered with the letters a little bit to disguise her handwriting. She then drew a middle finger and a stick figure with a bowling pin for a head below it. Smuggling through her pencil case, she withdrew a mini tape dispenser and took a piece off of it. As she stuck the tape onto the paper, the warning bell rang to signal four minutes until first period began.

Locker doors started to clang and bang and they were shoved closed as many students started making their ways to their classrooms. Taking advantage of the moment, Celestia blended into the crowd and sneakily pressed the note onto the blond's back as she brushed past him before breaking off at Hatsune's locker where Yuuta and Hatsune were waiting for her.

"What took you so long, Celestia? I thought you would be here earlier since I saw that you put your stuff away faster than me. Did something hold you up?" Hatsune asked, unbeknownst to the disaster Celestia had with her locker. Pausing for a few seconds, Celestia came to a quick conclusion as they began walking to their world history classroom together, "Just had to deal with some annoying flies, no big deal."

"Flies? Why would there be flies inside the school?" Hatsune questioned, confused, not getting Celestia's vague figure of speech. Celestia didn't answer Hatsune's inquire and just shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry about it." She reassured her and glanced backwards with just her eyes for a second to make sure she didn't get noticed.

"I know what you mean. Honestly the honeybees are worse than the flies here. Laying out sweet little treats to capture and stick their prey. Disgusting." Yuuta easily caught on with Celestia and shared her troubles with the position of her locker. Her entire body shuddered as she spoke and she shook her head in disappointment. "Hope I never see any of their mugs soon."

"Amen to that," The silver haired girl quipped.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 4: They're Nice Right?**_

When they arrived at their classroom, there was a couple of minutes left before class began. The teacher had yet to arrive but the door was left wide open to the students and when they entered, they sat wherever they wanted since no seating chart. It was hard to tell this was a class of royalty, nobles, and knights in training as the chatter and informal tones suggested it was a class of regular students. However it was undeniable this was a class of higher caliber from the manner they projected themselves.

The three girls decided to sit right next to the window on the right side of the room and took the fourth and fifth seats in the row right next to the window and the seat next to the fourth desk. Celestia sat herself down in the fourth seat as she liked looking out the window and Yuuta placed herself next to her while Hatsune claimed the last seat behind them. A few moments later, a group of three other girls took the seats in front of them and the blonde one sitting in front of Celestia greeted her, "Hey Celestia. Long time no see. How was break for you? Did you finish reading the book I recommended to you?"

Celestia's eyes lit up with friendly recognition as she blandly replied, "Lucy, it is great that we are in the same class again. Yes I really appreciated the book you recommended that I must read. Although my rest at the palace could have been better of course. You know without the you-know-who's around like helicopters."

Lucy laughed as she flashed Celestia a knowing grin, "Oh I know what you mean. Dad's almost kept me locked in my room the entire time until Mom told him to lay off. I know he loves me and all but isolating me isn't going to make me a better ruler."

The blue-haired girl next to her then piped up as she wagged her finger at Lucy, "Which leads to you escaping and making my job harder for me. Do you know how much trouble it takes for me to find you, Lu-chan? I'm surprised Your Majesty hasn't fired me for losing you so many times."

Lucy let out a sheepish chuckle while averting her eyes slightly, "Yeah sorry about that Levy but you know I hate being locked up like that." Her eyes drifted out the window and at the big green field outside as if she was going to escape right at the moment. "While I agree it's not pleasant to be stuck inside, I do believe you shouldn't break the rules, Lucy-sama." A redhead sitting in front of Lucy scolded her as she crossed her arms right underneath her large bust, a strict manner in her words. Tensing up from being scolded, Lucy nodded as she bowed her head in shame (and fear), "I'm sorry, Erza... But I just can't help it… I'll try to listen to my dad more and follow the rules."

Celestia understood how she felt and reached out her hand as she reassuringly patted Lucy's shoulder while gently contradicting with Erza, "Erza does have a valid point, Lucy. She's just looking out for you so you don't get in trouble with your dad and have to face some dire punishment. She's definitely a brilliant knight and diligent protector." Erza slightly blushed from the compliments and looked away, murmuring something about how that was untrue. "However, I do believe a future ruler should not be kept locked inside. It would lead to ignorance and inexperience to ruling a kingdom. How will you rule if all this time you've been kept in isolation and have no idea what has happened in the outside world? This is why I believe both Lucy and Erza are right." She concluded and then took her hand back from Lucy's shoulder.

There was a short pause as all the girls stared at Celestia besides Yuuta who at the moment was reading manga, trying to catch up on all the series she has missed. Celestia blinked feeling slightly self-conscious as her eyes casually glanced downwards. _Oh God have I said something out of line again…_ She worried to herself but her facial features remained neutral, failing to reveal her emotions. She glanced up again and opened her mouth to apologize when Lucy interrupted her, "Celestia I don't know if I've said this before but you're going to be a great ruler. You obviously don't need some stupid prince to help you. You've got your shit together and can handle everything on your own." Erza nodded in agreement as she flashed a friendly smile, "That I'll second."

Levy then took that moment to glance back at Hatsune and striked a conversation with her, "Hatsune-chan, thank you so much for singing that song for me. I loved your cover so much and I couldn't find the link on YouTube anywhere. You're talented all right. I don't understand why you don't upload more videos of you singing." Flushing a bright pink, Hatsune looked down shyly, "Oh stop Levy-chan. It's thanks to you that I started posting online plus we're friends so of course I'll cover any songs for you. Also about that thing with uploading more videos, well I've been a little busy these days and when I upload videos I always keep forgetting to give credit to the artists so it keeps getting copyrighted!" She placed face in her hands, embarrassed at the constant mistake she makes as Levy giggled slightly as she tried to calm Hatsune down, knowing that it was a forgetful thing only the forever clumsy girl was capable of.

At that moment, a loud commotion occurred at the center of the classroom. Celestia rolled her eyes as almost all the girl once glanced immediately in the direction of the loud bang. Erza instantly rose from her seat, with her sense of justice flaming, as her eyes glared daggers at the two boys in the center of a large group who seem to be the cause of the commotion. However, she took a pause in her actions as they hadn't broken out into any further violence yet. She instead stood on the edge of the scene with her arms crossed again with an unimpressed look on her face.

 _Bet it's a fight between Natsu and Gray again. Seriously those two never learn._ The silver haired girl inferred remembering the many times it has happened in the past as she has been surprisingly in the same class as them since the first day she transferred. However her assumption was wrong when she turned her head to check out the scene finally. One of her thin eyebrows were raised as her eyes lit up as she recognized the guy Natsu was fighting with. Gray was actually staying under the radar and was watching at a desk behind Natsu on the sidelines. He made eye contact with Celestia for a short second before she looked away to examine at the fight. _Guess I was wrong this time,_ She was disappointed her hypothesis was wrong and was too deep in thought to notice the flushed Gray she'd left behind.

"It was you, wasn't it?! What the hell was that for, Natsu-san? I didn't do anything to you, you asshole! And stop fucking laughing, bastard!" The two boys were standing with one of them holding other up by the collar and both supporting equally fierce looks on their face. The one talking had blond spiky hair and was the same guy Celestia stuck the note on earlier. In fact the said note was now crumbled in his hand, and he was holding back from punching Natsu in the face with the same hand.

"What did you say, you pee stain?! I have no idea what bullshit you're spewing but I never seen that note before except on your back five seconds ago. It's not my fault you're too big headed to notice it." The "salmon" haired boy shot back with equal fury and smashed his forehead against Sting's.

About two minutes ago, the merry group of boys walked into the classroom and claimed the seats in the center and front of the room. While Gray was arguing with Natsu, he sneakily spied at Celestia out of the corner of his eye before sitting himself down behind his rival. Gajeel sat himself down next to Gray and was playing with some paper clips and iron, molding it into some kind of invention. Wanting to be near Natsu, Sting planted himself in the seat in front of Natsu and dragged his brother, Rogue along, too, knowing that Gajeel was his own idol. Natsu at the moment could tell Gray wasn't really participating and decided to turn around and find someone else to mess with. At that moment, Sting had sat down with his back to Natsu which made him laugh his gut out when he read the note. He also got joy from finding out who it was as he smelled a familiar and distinctive stench on it which he detected with his strong sense of smell. At the sound of the sudden laughter, Sting became embarrassed and he started a fight which lead to the current situation.

Actually Sting noticed earlier that people were laughing but didn't think it was him. Why? Because he was the ultra cool Sting Eucliffe from the Sabertooth alliance and he's too amazing for anyone to laugh at him. However it stung for Natsu to crack a joke at him and his temper got the better of him which lead to him holding Natsu in a hold by his collar. His eyes narrowed at the last sentence Natsu said and his shoulders trembled as he completely crumpled the note in his hand drawing the fist back. **"HUH?! WHAT DID YOU SAY, DICKWAD?"** He yelled as he then rushed his entire body forward adding more force behind his punch to Natsu's face.

Several other movements occurred at the same moment. Erza rushed forward instantly to stop them, her arms held out to yank Sting's fist back. Gray, despite hating Natsu, reached out to pull Natsu backwards with one hand and held the other, palm out, to block the attack. Everyone else in the classroom either rose up and cheered, checked to see if the teacher was going to come, silently watched, or just didn't pay attention in general. Just as Sting's fist was about a millimeter in front of Natsu's face, the door bursted open with a splintering bang and a flurry of brown and black rushed into the room.

"ALRIGHT YOU FREAKING MUNCHKINS, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE." Sting's fist listened and stopped directly in front of Natsu's face. If he just moved it slightly, he could have brushed Natsu's nose and bust it right in. The man who stopped them had a scruffy and hipster look with a dark brown trench coat over a denim shade of blue button down with a silver tie with black stripes tied loosely under the collar. His lower body consisted of slightly baggy brown pants with the edges rolled up a little bit and his feet in brown bowler shoes. His hair was gelled back with a pair of thick black framed glasses propped on his head. He had a scraggly of facial hair on his chin and upper lip and there was a dead tired look on his face and eyes as if he was ready to ditch school before it even began. He didn't look timid at all but he was in no place to object as he was merely a teacher to the students of future rulers.

However, knowing the teacher of this class, Sting didn't dare to power ahead and instead with a lot of reluctance released Natsu's collar and lowered his fist. Still butt hurt from his comment, he gave his opponent one last glare and scoff before turning away. "Okay now all ya turds better take a seat while I take roll. When I call your name, say here. If I say it wrong, correct me if you care." The man who stopped them was now strolling around the room casually as he crossed to the center right in front of the whiteboard and then turned as he leaned down, making himself level to Sting. "And you, Sting Eucliffe, while it's against protocol for me to leave you alone instead of sending you to the vice principal's office, I will give you a warning. Do this again and I'll have you run five laps around the entire school while doing a handstand the entire time." His voice lowered and he glared darkly at the boy who was sweating slightly. "Got it?" He asked in a faintly sweet tone and raised a bushy eyebrow at him.

Swallowing the lump in his throat and the breath he was holding, Sting nodded his head and took a short pause before opening his mouth and responding quickly before the man could call him out for disrespect. "Yes Mr. Gildarts, sir. This will never happen again I swear." The man simply stared at him for a few seconds getting too dangerously close in Sting's personal space. Left to his own devices, he had no choice but to meekly stare back and pray to God this will be over soon.

A crooked smile soon broke over his face and he nodded as he smoothly backed away. "That's good to hear." He replied to Sting before facing the entire class and raising his voice, the process of taking roll forgotten. "Alrighty, it seems that everyone is here if my count is right. I'm Gildarts Clive, your history teacher this year as well as your homeroom teacher. You can call me Mr. Gildarts, Mr. Clive, or even Gildarts. Actually, it feels a little too formal for you all to call Mr. Clive so call me Gildarts. If that's too casual for you, then call me Mr. Gildarts." His face then suddenly turned all mushy as his tone warmed significantly and he leaned more to the corner of the classroom. His face was all pink and his words melted to a sugary sweet mess. "And my adorable dear daughter, Cana, can call me her loveable and strong Papa! Ahhhh Cana my darling! Daddy's so happy to be your teacher this year-"

"Shut your trap, you ol geezer and just teach the class already. We got stuff to do and you have your job." The brunette interrupted him abruptly and bluntly as she took a swig from a mysteriously sealed water bottle container. Gildarts immediately deflated and his eyes watered slightly as he slowly nodded his head, "Yes, Cana my darling. I'll do as you say."

Despite his sudden sadness, he still managed to perk back up and his gaze pierced across the classroom as a smirk crossed his lips. Despite being a teacher at a prestigious school, he wanted to have some fun with his students and decided to use this opportunity to do a little matchmaking. "Well today's going to be pretty relaxed. All you're getting today is an agenda about what we're learning this year and what you need for the class and after that we're watching a movie." Everyone's mood rose at the words coming out of their teacher's mouth which created a calm and relaxed environment. They cheered him on and some clapped their hands. At that moment, Celestia's twilight eyes dart over to Yuuta's own eye. After establishing eye contact, she shook her head while Yuuta rolled her eyes along with her. They were both thinking the same thing. He most definitely going to throw some loophole at them to ruin their day.

"BUT! Before we do all that. We're going to have to do something about the seating here… Why the hell is all the boys in the center and the girls separated on opposite sides of the room. Yeah this is going to have to change. I really want to mess around with the seating chart." Everyone immediately froze and a few students started booing at him, declaring it unfair. His eyes immediately narrowed as the rough teacher suddenly harbored the hostile expression he supported before. "Oh I see this class will require some more _attention_ than the rest of my periods. This is definitely not a good way to start off the morning. Seem that I'm going to have to talk about you guys to the rest of my periods." Gildarts' emphasis of attention made a cold chill whisper across the classroom and when he visually swept across the classroom, everyone had the same thought. Who was going to be the first victim?

"Well first we're going to have to separate Blondie and the Idiot Natsu here first. So let's see…" He shot out his first choices and curtly glanced to the right and landed on Lucy for a short moment. Looking back at Natsu, he then quickly decided, "Alright Idiot move to the second to last desk in the second row. Near my desk will you, so I can keep an eye on a troublemaker." Natsu started making soft scoffing noises and cried Gildarts the entire time but still moved to his new seat. Gildarts then commanded his next set of orders, "Alright Smart Blondie, I'll have you move next to the Idiot. And Scarlet, you'll be behind the idiot next to the guy who refuses to show his face."

While Erza was fine with option she was given, Lucy was absolutely livid. She was ecstatic with the fact she was free from the ignorant and clingy Natsu only to be paired up with once again. She was more than reluctant to take the seat but since she didn't want to face Gildarts' wrath, she silently obeyed his order. She did let herself give Natsu a dark glare which Natsu pouted in response. When he inquired about her attitude, Lucy merely turned away and ignored him.

"The front row looks okay for now.. However, you right next to my beloved daughter. If you even glance at her, I will kill you. Anyways, I want Pinky Ponytail and Black Hair with Ribbons to move to the second and third seat of the row I'm standing in front of here with Pinky in the third seat." He took a slightly longer pause as he considered the choices he had left. "Blue haired Bookwork will move next to the Metal Guy and Copycat Gray next to Pinkie. Rain Woman shuffle over to the seat next to Copycat and Stripper next to Rain Woman."

"You, Silver." He decided to use hand motions this time and pointed a finger straight at Celestia. "Move to that seat diagonal from you north east. Idiotic Blondie I want you to park your gluteus maximus next to her by the window. If I see you glancing out there once, you're switching with Silver. Purple Curls, I want you behind Silver and All Black next to Curls. White Hair with Rose next to Curls with the spiky haired guy already next to her to move to the same seat next to her. And I want you Black Ponytail, to move behind Rose there next to the guy who won't take off his helmet. And…. I want Short White Hair in the empty seat next to Idiot Pinky. Alright, that's the last of it. You have a minute or else you run."

A bunch of noises started to clatter as students moved their seats quickly and efficiently, not wanting to have to do exercise so early and so cold in the morning. Celestia cast a disappointed expression back to Yuuta and Hatsune before sitting herself down in her new seat. Since her new assigned seat was close to her original desk, Celestia had seated herself before her partner. When her partner approached the area, she graciously and silently scooted her seat forward to make space for him to squeeze past which was a little difficult because even though Celestia was thin, Sting was little more on the built side. He did not even thank her before slumping down in his seat and Celestia shot a look at him with her eyes. Bringing her attention back to Gildarts, she persuaded herself that the seating could have been worse and that she should be grateful her close friend, Hatsune, was close to her.

Looking over at her partner, she remembered the name Gildarts had addressed him as and a spark of recognition ran through her brain. _Guess he grew up to be an ass in all those year I haven't seen him._ If Gildarts hadn't mentioned his name, she would have written him off as someone who was irrelevant. Celestia had not recognized him before since he had changed significantly and a pit grew in her stomach at the thought of the contrasting behavior he has now compared to her memory.

Trying to think of something more positive, she redirected her thoughts to her friend. _Actually speaking of Hatsune, she's sitting with a boy this year. I hope she's okay. Better be someone nice._ She allowed herself to turn around briefly as the minute had yet to up and some people were still situating themselves. She easily caught Hatsune's bewildered and somewhat shocked eyes and she mouthed _"Everything okay_ " to her though she faintly knew the result already from her expression. Hatsune shrugged her shoulder and shook her hand side to side. _Could be better but still not too bad._ The princess's head nodded in agreement with her companion's statement. Flashing Hatsune a thumbs up for good morale, Celestia reassured her friend before facing the front of the room. Her eyes was then greeted with a paper on her desk as Gildarts starting talking again.

"Alright so this is the stuff we're doing and other stuff you need. Review and sign later and keep it because you need this not me. Now we're watching an anime about a short history of our previous century. Enjoy. No complaining or you're running."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 5: Whose Smartass Idea Was This?**_

"So how was third period for you guys after I left?"

A loud groan went through the air in response as Celestia, the person responsible, smacked her head on the empty lunch tray she was holding. Several other people in line gave her a weird glance, wondering why the hell was someone smacking their face into a tray. Becoming defensive, Yuuta glared at them, telling them off, as her overprotective mama bear senses were tingling. Being the comforting friend, Hatsune was patting Celestia's back sympathetically and simultaneously lowering the tray from her face. "It seems like that the annoying blonde kid who was fighting this morning is in all of her periods up to now. Somehow she got paired up with him again in third…" She explained and successfully got Celestia to put the tray down. Yuuta raised an eyebrow and whistled low in shock, "Damn I thought he was just in our first, second, and fourth. Guess you didn't even have a break in third. Well at least he didn't seem to notice you in fourth. Good thing you're all the way below him in roll call and we were just getting lockers and uniforms today."

Celestia still massaged the stress in her forehead with her two fingers as they moved up the lunch line. "Still a pain being stuck in the same period as him. I hope Mr. Gildarts moves our seats soon but for Ichiya to make us permanently partners… Someone shoot me. Or better yet someone shoot him. _Please_. I swear Mira had something to do with second and third period. You can tell from the devious grin she had on her face and the way her fingers were maniacally laced together. She had something up her sleeve." She stated her observations and her fingernail gripped the tray tighter as she remembered briefly seeing Mira's face in the window peeking in on them.

Ichiya's class was also held in a classroom except the boys and girls were separated from each other on the opposite ends of the classroom. Celestia sat next to Lucy in this period as Hatsune and Yuuta sat next to each. Everything was going swell and alright until Ichiya suddenly bursted out with this crazy idea of setting partners up for future projects and discussions. He was going to choose it from two pots filled with sticks and somehow he couldn't find them until Mira bursted into the classroom with the lost pots and sticks in hand. Well some girls and some boys got paired up with each other like Yuuta getting paired with Lucy and Gray with Jellal so Celestia prayed to God or whoever was up there to bless her. God apparently hates her because she got paired up idiot Sting once again.

God must also want to obliterate her because Sting was made her partner in third period which was inevitable as Mira was her Teacher Assistant. _And I thought I was lucky to have the Headmaster Mavis as my teacher but noooo they just had to bring Mira in, too._ Fourth period was a breeze for her luckily but it still shook her that Sting was in her class that period too. "Seriously what is the hell is with how they assign the schedules. I swear I better not have fifth, sixth, and seventh period too with this idiot." She complained as she grabbed some potato salad onto her plate as Yuuta snatched fried chicken and Hatsune grabbed a burger with a side of fries. They moved easily passed the side dishes were Celestia picked out some buttered sourdough bread, Yuuta choose biscuits, and Hatsune plucked up a sugary vanilla cupcake. After they paid for lunch, they grabbed a beverage of soda for Hatsune and Yuuta and Celestia took a chilled can of fruit juice.

They slipped out of the cafeteria and maneuvered to their usual lunch area on the rooftop garden exclusive to them thanks to Erza. As they were walking up the stairs, they started discussing the next remaining periods. "Well even if you do fifth period with him, you can whoops his ass anonymously because today we're suiting up in armor and doing some swordplay. I bet from his punch, that kid hasn't done any fighting or practice outside of school and occasional exercise." Yuuta spoiled to her as she nibbled on some chicken already without waiting to sit down.

Celestia smiled largely at the idea of that and a corrupt giggle bubbled from her mouth. "That sounds like a splendid idea. I actually cannot wait for fifth period now. If we have Language together, he also doesn't seem like the type that fluent in anything except the bare necessities which are Japanese and English. I can insult him in that period… but he probably doesn't have Astronomy. He doesn't seem like someone who would be interested in stars.." Her words started to drift as she glanced at Hatsune who has been silently listening to her all this time. "Sorry I've been babbling too much. How was your days today, guys?"

"Well probably much better than yours but still could be better. First period was shit. Bickslow that son of a bitch was next to me and he wouldn't stop talking and trying to tease me. Fucking asshole." Though Yuuta's words were biting, both Hatsune and Celestia could spot the underlying affection hidden in the soft blush of the knight's cheeks.

"Second was so damn boring. Thanks for waking me up at the end of the period, Hatsune." Continuing with her statement, the small girl gave Hatsune a thumbs up who smiled sheepishly, unsure if this was something to be praised about. "Third and fourth was amazing. I beat everyone in fencing except for Erza. Geez Louise she's so fierce. I almost had her this time but she got me with that really quick side swipe at the end. I had fun with you in PE. We got lockers together and didn't have to interact with any assholes." Concluded her report, Yuuta shot a finger gun to Hatsune as if to pass the microphone to her. Celestia, too, took turn in including Hatsune in the conversation. "What about you, Hatsune? I saw you got partnered up with the same guy from first period in third. Is he nice? Was fourth period good, too?"

Ignoring the bit about her male partner, Hatsune bounced on the balls of her feet and discussed the details of her musical fourth period, "Fourth period was so fun! Though, Ooba-sensi scares me," Hatsune's perkiness then dropped into sudden fear as her eyes widened significantly larger than it already was and her shoulders shuddered at that thought, "She already made five people spin around in the rolly chair. But anyways we have a assignment that I'm nervous about because we have to perform in front of that class and if it doesn't live up to her expectations we have to be 'punished'."

Hatsune's eyes then started to water as she wailed in a soft but loud enough volume for them to hear, "Oh I just know I'm going to fail. I'm going to choose the perfect with just the right range for me only to crash and burn at the performance! All my practice down the drain when I get stage fright at the last second and forget everything and I- I- She's going to punish meeee!" The tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. In sync, Celestia took out another handkerchief to wipe her tears while Yuuta took her tray and balanced the two trays she was holding on an arm each.

They were now on the last staircase of steps before they reached the roof. "Okay Hatsune remember the three steps I've taught you. Step One:" Celestia called off as she dabbed the tears away and pinched Hatsune's nose for her. Hatsune followed along with the signal and blew her nose before answering. "Take deep breaths." She did as told and took deep breath, holding each next breath a little longer than the previous before release, and felt her pulse beating louder but slower with each exhale. "Alright next is step two." Celestia balled the handkerchief and placed it in the far corner of her tray away from her food which she balanced against her hip. She used her now free hand to reach for Hatsune's and gave it a squeeze as if to say everything is going to okay.

"Think of a battle plan. I don't have to write a song and I can sing that song from the musical I've been watching recently. I really like Catch Me If You Can and I've been practicing Fly Fly Away a lot. You guys have heard it before. Kerry Bulter's vocal range is just…" She sighed dreamily with a goofy smile on her face as her sadness melted away. Celestia's words of advice were making her feel better. "Absolutely unbelievable. I'd kill for her voice."

"Which you do not have because you have an even better and unique voice. If you have the same voice as her, this Bulter girl would have to call copyright because they don't need another Kerry Bulter but another Hatsune." Yuuta now bumped Hatsune with her hip slightly as she spoke, making sure not to spill the food. Hatsune giggled from Yuuta's passive aggressive compliment before starting to list out the last step. "And step three-"

Celestia then wrapped her single free arm around Hatsune in a hug as Yuuta snuggled close to Hatsune as possible. They both gave the answer for the last step in unison with equally proud tones. "And rock the performance because you know you are going to. You're our amazing little Hatsune and if anyone dares to emit the first cough of a laugh, we'll destroy them." Hatsune's face cracked with an incredibly large grin as she took her tray back from Yuuta. "Have I ever said how much I love you guys? What would I ever do without you guys seriously?" She reached the tops of the steps first and pushed open the door letting a gust of fresh chilly breezes.

"You'd probably die from dehydration from crying too much and your ever changing emotions would blow up the world." Yuuta joked as she walked through the door, and glanced to see if anyone has arrived yet. "Yuuta come on, that's not nice. Hatsune would probably make a lot more mistakes without us around for sure but this is why we're here. Well partially it's mostly because we need and love her like family." Celestia rebutted before following Yuuta and Hatsune closed the door behind them.

The garden took up the entire rooftop with the exception of the storage room and the open center in the middle for a fountain and benches. The garden club was actually supposed to be the only ones with access to the rooftop but Erza managed to pull a few strings for them since they couldn't get any peace and quiet in this school. While Celestia was pretty unknown amongst the school, most of the other girls were pretty famous. Yuuta and Erza was known for their phenomenal physical attributes while Hatsune claimed the seat for the best singing and most musical instruments capable of being played. Lucy and Levy were admired for their beauty and brains and despite being an infamous matchmaker, Mira was declared the fairest princess at school. Cana was rumored to be a heavy drinker and the one who could get you into any club/bar you want and little Wendy was the top student of her grade and the sweetest princess around, almost unrivaled in her godly medical knowledge.

Because of this, they were always watched or crowded around at lunch which they disliked severely, especially Celestia and Yuuta who were highly introverted and hate talking to people. This lead to their private garden which they entered now. The entire rooftop was bursting with florals, herbs, and greenery of all different kids. Planters were lined up in row and hanging from the ceiling of wooden boards with the leaves and stems hanging and growing out of it. The heavenly scent of flowers clung in the air as the three girls waded through the maze finding the center where all their friends were waiting for them. The crackling splashes of the fountain was carried throughout the garden and it got louder as they broke into the center and the chattering sound of chatter was heard.

When they entered the meeting area, a group was already there and a swivel of heads turned as a chortle of voices greet them.

"Hey took you guys long enough. What was the hold up? The lunch line was too long?"

"Did any of you guys bring me any more beer? Gin? Vodka? Any alcoholic beverage in general?"

"Yuuta, are you going to try out for the soccer team this season?"

"Celestia do you have any idea of what you're going to do for that assignment for Ichiya?"

"Hey Hatsune do you know the title of this song? It's on the tip of my tongue but I can't seem to remember it… I need it for Ooba-sama's class."

"Celestia-Nee! It's only been the first day and I've already been given mountains of homework could you help me with it later please please please?"

This was their usual manner of passing lunch time. Even though there were perfectly functioning benches, they all preferred to be in the midst of the chaos and positioned themselves on the large ledge of the fountain. They also moved several of the benches in front of the ledge since there wasn't enough space and they each separated in their groups within their large clique.

The trio had obviously arrived very late as everyone had ambushed them as soon as they arrived and they were already almost done or halfway done with their meals. Levy and Lucy were sitting in the corner of the ledge with a pile of books in between the both of them and they silently read while trading small tidbits of information or conversation here and there. Erza was sitting at the center of the fountain next to them eating a slice of strawberry cheesecake with the entire cake sitting precariously next to her. Mira was positioned next to her and was making playful jabs to her which Erza didn't catch onto as she was trying to enjoy her godly piece of cake. Their drunkard friend Cana was laying down on one of the benches with a large amount of empty canisters surrounding her almost in a wall and she was cranky with her blank storage of booze. Wendy, being the youngest as a third year in middle school, had already finished her bento and was silently completing her homework on a bench across from Lucy and Levy with the seat next to her completely empty. They all perked up and gave them a greeting in their own ways.

The three sat themselves down next to Wendy but Yuuta was soon dragged into a conversation by Erza about upcoming sports meets and Hatsune helped Mira with her song search. Celestia simply shrugged in response to Levy about the Ichiya assignment as she has yet to think about it and spooned a mouthful of her potato salad into her mouth when Wendy asked her a question. Smiling at the request, she immediately nodded her head and quickly swallowed the bite as she smoothly replied, "Sure I'll swing by your house after school. Maybe I'll even be able to convince my parents to let me sleep over."

Wendy's eyes widened and Celestia could easily make out the glitters of excitement in her eyes and was able to picture a dog ears and tail on her as she bounced with happiness. "Really?! I can't wait. I really hope your parents let you sleep over. It's been awhile since we've hanged out, Celestia-Nee. I really miss your company. Natsu-nii does too and wanted me to tell you to visit soon." She reported to her and wrapped Celestia in a hug as she looked up at her with a plea clear in her pupils, "You'll convince them to let you stay right? I love spending time with you a lot."

Celestia's heart just skipped a beat just from hearing her little kid cousin speak those words and she let out one of her small smiles as a promise, "I'll do my best for sure but I'll sprinkle in a few lies to let me slip past. After all, I'd do anything to spend time with my little kid sister cousin." They were cousins but they've grown up knowing each other for a long time which lead to them considering each other siblings along with Natsu, Wendy's biological big brother and Celestia's "big bro". "They'll probably let me go if I can get a word from Aunt Grandeeney and Uncle Igneel and say that I'm getting school credit for tutoring you." She then lowered her voice as she moved closer to whisper to Wendy, "It's our little secret about our pajama party with a Rom-Com marathon with a bunch of junk food alright."

"Of course!" Wendy giggled at the idea before releasing Celestia to let her go back eating and for her to go back to her work. "Did I ever tell you you're the best older sister and cousin in the world?"

"Technically yes and I never get tired of hearing it every time. Because I am the best and only older sister and cousin you'll ever need and have"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 6: Remember People's Faces You Dumbass**_

While the girls were hiding out on the rooftop, the boys who enjoyed the attention, hang out near the basketball courts and field. They ate their meals on the bleachers near the soccer and football field as they were banned from the cafeteria for violent behavior. In other words, fighting. They all had already finished eating lunch and left their bags on the table as the group shifted over to the court.

They were originally playing three on three but now Gajeel and Gray were standing on the sidelines with Jellal sitting on the ground next to them reading a book. Rogue was standing a yard away from Gajeel in the corner watching him out of the corner of his eyes. The three with the exception of Jellal had their eyes on the two remaining players on the court. There was the constant clap of the ball hitting the ground and the cheers from the girls surrounding them or watching from other bleachers. The two were dripping with sweat and their faces were red from the exercise but neither looked ready to give up.

"You're pretty good at basketball huh, Natsu-san? I pegged you more of a football type of guy." Sting casually poked at him as he dribbled the ball on the left before swerving quickly to the right in hopes to fake him out. Natsu however has the instincts of a wild animal along with ball game experience so he anticipated the fake and easily maneuvered over to the right as if mirroring Sting's actions. Rushing forward, he slapped the ball out of Sting's hand and after successfully stealing it, bolted down the court and easily passed mid court before Sting stopped him right in front of the zone. Sting was now blocking the center circle so Natsu either had to make a 3 pointer or pass Sting and make a 2 pointer.

Sting didn't really know how capable Natsu was at shooting and how accurate his shooting percentage is so he assumed it was somewhere around his accuracy which was 50-60% and decided to push Natsu into a three pointer, sure he'd miss and be able to take the rebound. Backing away, he made enough room for Natsu to shoot on the three point line but had enough pressure to block the zone so it was more pressured than implied he had to take the shot at that moment. A smirk came across Natsu's face as he caught onto Sting's body language. _Oh so this is how it's going to be, Sting you bastard._

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu called out his classic catch phrase as he took the challenge head on and bent his knees as he lowered his body. Gaining enough momentum, he launched himself forward and launched the ball towards the hoop. Sting tried to block and held his hands out hoping to intercept the shot but didn't even manage to touch the ball as it soared right at the hoop. It swished easily and made a basket. Nothing but net.

Natsu threw his head back and his hands were propped on his waist as he let out a thunderous laugh. Sting merely held a look of pure shock as he stared at the ball which bounced on the ball. He quickly snapped his jaw up when his eye caught contact with Rogue's and with his cheek burning bright red, he grumbled as he picked up the ball. "Lucky shot. Don't push your gut. I'll get you next time."

Natsu shook with anger at that and raising his right hand, he made a "come at me" gesture by curling his fingers.

About ten minutes later, the two boys were passed out and lying flat on the dirty blacktop. Their blazers and ties were littered on the floor. The ball was laid forgotten against the pole of the hoop. Their breathing was labored and it made small puffs in the cold air. The three bystanders were now sitting back on the bench since they become bored with the match.

Catching his breath, Natsu slowly rose from the ground and pushed himself onto his feet. He first walked over the pole, retrieving the basketball, before sitting himself next to Jellal on the bench. Sting would have joined him also since he didn't want to be outdone. However at that moment, his emotions got the better of him and he kept lying on the ground with a firm pout on his mouth, sulking like a sullen cat. After allowing himself a few minutes, he forced himself off the blacktop and trudged his heavy legs to the group.

"So what theme are you all going to choose for the Ichiya tea ceremony assignment?" Jellal inquired as he slid his scarf under his chin so he had more access to speak. Almost as if they rehearsed it, all of them groaned at the same time at the mention of the disastrous project. Except for Rogue of course but he did scowl at the mention of it.

"I seriously don't understand what he was thinking. What's the purpose of us throwing a tea ceremony? Sounds like bullshit to me. I mean when have you ever seen a king partake in such pansy activities. I mean only Mom plans these activities in my kingdom." Gray complains as he ruffled his hair with his right hand. He felt a little awkward planning and throwing it but at least he wasn't the only male doing it. However, he was a little worried he was going to receive a bad grade since he was inexperienced. He sighed in despair already seeing the 3- on the grade sheet.

"Come on, use your brains you knuckleheads. They gave us partners for a reason. We can just have them do all the work. Easy peasy." Sting replied with a coy smirk on his lips. He honestly didn't want anything to do with this project. In fact, as soon as Ichiya spoke of the project in class and assigned partners, he was going to request for an alternate project but when he opened his mouth, a pen suddenly flew past him, barely grazing his cheek and leaving a long ink mark.

With goosebumps running through his body, he was unfortunately stuck with the dreaded tea ceremony as his future attempts ended the same way with his almost demise. Shaking off the thought of the death pen, he rested his head on his palm and continued his thought, "I mean I have this one _**really**_ stuck up girl as my partner. She's all prim and proper and always takes notes in class and wears the uniform exactly how rules want you to. I mean who does that? A tryhard that's for sure. She never talks and probably has something wrong with her." A brash laugh slipped from his lips and his fangs were revealed when he grinned, "She's such a nobody. I don't even remember her name. What is it? Selene? Serenity? Honestly I don't fucking care as long as she does wor-"

A gasp then burst from him as a foot lodged itself into his stomach, a good inch or so in, before he flew backwards from his seat. His face also exploded in pain as knuckles bit hard into the bridge of his nose. A loud crunch sound occurred and he was unsure if it was him or his attacker. He hit the ground hard and he instantly wrapped a hand around his aching stomach and covered his now bleeding nose. "Fuat eh ell, Matsu! Hat ur-" Once again he was interrupted as Natsu slammed his foot near his head and knelt down into his face while he lifted him up to meet him by the collar, teeth bared like a wild dog. There was a rogue look in his eyes and his face was red from rage. It was if he was in flames. Growling, he roared, " _You fucking shut up, you lucky piece of trash. I'll have you know_ _ **Celestia**_ _is nowhere near a nobody. She can do shit you can never do which makes you unwanted, a nobody. How_ _ **dare**_ _you talk about her like that when you have no idea what she's going through. I would_ _ **die**_ _to have her as my partner yet here you are throwing her away. If you even have the balls to do any of this shit to her, I'll find you and_ _ **end you**_ _._ "

With that, Natsu dropped him, not even caring that his head hit the floor with a soft thud, and walked off with hunched shoulders, his feet making slight slapping noises on the pavement. It was as though steam was billowing off of him. Sting's jaw had dropped watching the one he looked up to getting angry but something _he_ had said. However, Natsu wasn't the only one who was mad. Across from him, Gray made splinters in the table between the benches, as his rage got the better of him. His vision turned red and he felt something shift inside of him when he heard such words come through his mouth about his crush. He remembered the feeling of his stomach dropping the moment he heard that she was paired with Sting and not him. Before he was jealous of Sting, but now he just felt bad for Celestia to be paired with a jerk like him.

Next to him, the iron prince showed emotions of silent fury, his eyes narrowed and a scowl cracked across his face. While Gajeel was related to Natsu as distant cousins, he wasn't related to Celestia as she was from the opposite side of Natsu's family tree. However, when they were little, she was always nice to him despite his grumpy and outlandish nature. He was always failing hard in his studies so she would help him even if she didn't need to. Even when he snapped at her to leave him alone, she was always patient and kind, wanting to help him. Though he never visited her kingdom before, he heard about her family situation and cared after her. She was like a small lamb to him and he wanted to protect her from anything that tried to harm her. In a way, Gajeel was sort of like an oversized teddy bear. Jellal was in a similar set of mood. He knew Celestia well being on the same sports team as her and did not like the way he spoke of her. Not wanting to be in his presence any longer either, all of them got up and followed Natsu leaving a bleeding Sting to nurse his wounds with an unsympathetic Rogue.

With his face covered with both blood and shame from being beaten so easily, Sting flapped one of his arms in the air as he was still using the other to cup his nose. Like the egotistic drama queen he was, he waited for Rogue to lift him up despite being capable of doing so himself. His twin brother however wanted Sting to feel a little karma for his decision and turned his head in the opposite direction, studying a fallen leaf which just happened to be next to his seat.

"... The leaf is pretty." He said after a count of twenty seconds and Sting let out a yowl in defiance. He now clawed the air and cried in response, "I on't wucking are aboot sum weaf! Khrist Fogue huep meh oop." Sighing, he obliged to his dying request and swiftly hoisted him up in one swoop. Sting didn't expected this and made a slight strangled noise before placing his feet on the ground with a small "ooomph". Being the responsible child he was, Rogue took a pack of tissues out of his pocket and handed it over to him to stop the flow, "You know… that was pretty stupid. Even for you. If you want to be on his good side again, it's best apologize to the Celestia girl."

"Yeeh, yeeh I gut et…" Sting grumbled darkly as he sat himself back onto the bench. Taking out two tissues, he rolled them up before using them to plug his nose. While doing so, he analyzed Natsu's speech from before. Considering his tone and actions, she must be someone important to him, possibly a close friend. Or maybe a girlfriend? Scoffing, he shook his head. Though he glorified Natsu, he still was conscious of the fact that he was the definition of an idiot. But then again, just to be sure he still can't rule out that option. She must be more important than he originally suspected as the other princes and noble were also offended with his comments. With this new information, a spark went off for once in his puny brain and a plan started to formulate.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 7: Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover**_

" _Okay now remember boys, we don't stab out people's eyes or aim for fatal shots in practice. I don't want a complaint from any of your parents about one of you losing a finger or something like that… We don't want the school to get sued… again."_

Not that surprised, Celestia scoffed while rolling her eyes. The voice was coming from the boys locker room which was suddenly silent after a series of screams and other noises boys made. The instructor of their class was now explaining the rules to the boys and what was expected of the class. As the instructor was male, he wasn't allowed into the girls locker room which was quite vacant except for Celestia at the moment. As usual not many princesses or noble females signed up for the class so it was usually just Celestia. She didn't really need to as like the former mentioned, they had many guards trained to protect them from harm. However, Celestia doesn't seem the harm in being prepared just in case.

She had already changed into the uniform in less than a minute and locked up her gym locker which held her clothes, gym clothes, sneakers, and books for the next few periods. Her locker was located in the corner of the same wall with the exit/entrance of the building. A bench was placed right next to it adjacent to a wall and Celestia had sat herself down to tie the shoelaces on her boots. While doing so, she shrugged her shoulders to adjust the bulky chest plate. The armor would be heavy for most girls but Celestia works out regularly so it feels bearable for her. Finished tying the knot, she rose from the bench and sauntered over to the office where someone has been silently working. Popping her head through the office door, her eyes landed on a familiar redhead typing away at the computer on the desk inside.

"I didn't know you were the assistant teacher for this period. It didn't occur to you to inform me of this? I'm offended, Erza. I thought we were friends." Celestia joked in her monotonous, sarcastic manner and leaned against the door frame. Erza rolled around in her spinney chair and Celestia entered the room, peering at the attendance sheet that was pulled up on the laptop. _Looks like it's full of all the athletic arrogant boys. Oh what fun._ She sighed on the inside.

Shrugging, Erza responded in a similar cool but joking tone, "Whoops guess it slipped my mind. Anyways, here's the syllabus the instructor wanted everyone to have. He doesn't want it signed or anything but he would like for you to look over and understand the rules since he's unable to come in here and explain it himself."

Shaking her head, Erza handed over the paper into Celestia's open hand and continued, "Honestly though, the boys probably need it way more than you do." Letting out a small chuckle, Celestia nodded in agreement to her statement as she skimmed the page, "Yeah I don't know what I'm going to gain from stabbing someone in the eye besides a trip to the principal which my parents would be "dying" to hear out." They both laughed at this joke and she waved at Erza, deciding the conversation has gone long enough. "Well I better go. I should get out before all the other guys do so I don't catch attention. I'll see you later, Erza."

"Sure. Beat all their butts for me will you." She waved back before twisting around back to the stack of papers she needed to grade. Walking back to her locker, she unlocked it and placed the paper inside before swiftly closing it. With that, she placed her helmet carefully over her bun and head, strapped the fencing sword to her belt, and thus, departed shortly for the gym.

 _Wow everyone was taller than I thought. Well at least there's some freshmen here that I can blend in with._ Celestia was the first to arrive in the gym and she had already warmed up before any of the others entered. Despite being on the taller side for girls, Celestia was one of the shortest in the room compared to the other males and could have easily been mistaken for one of the tiny freshmen. There was about 50 males in the mat covered room and were all now stretching or warming up in preparation for the day's lesson. The gym was pretty spacious with benches near the walls past the mats and there was a small area cleared for shoes, water, and a chair for the instructor. Celestia positioned herself in the middle of the freshmen and the upperclassmen and continued to stretch there. She took extra care in stretching her legs and touched the ground for a count of 30 seconds before switching.

"Alright you brats, let's get fencing!" A gruff voice shouted out and all eyes landed on a tiny man who now sat criss-cross-apple-sauced on the chair which seemed to engulfed him. In his hand was a cane which he pounded on the floor every now and then. Everyone instantly knelt in front of the small man who proceeded with his instructions, "Now I see most of you are return students but for the incoming freshmen, I am Instructor Makarov and I'll be instructing you all on swordsmanship. For today, I decided we will be having a competition."

Heads perked and eyes flashed at the mention of the word "competition". Tension filled the air as everyone was enthusiastic to prove their abilities. "Now there will be a prize for the winner which does not have to do extra workouts for the next two weeks…" Low murmurs bursted through the crowd at that prospect before Makarov finished his statement, "And the winner also doesn't have to do the clean up at the end." Roars bursted out after that and taunts were thrown around. Challenge accepted. Clean up was the worst thing about the class since it was 1) a class consisting of mostly men and 2) the gym floor and the equipment were plain nasty.

"Now my T.A. Erza has hanged papers on the wall. You all have to sign up for one level out of the three. Write your class number so it's easier to write your grade in. The three levels are Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. Now I've said "winner" not winners so the winner has to be from the Advanced group." A dark mood instantly flew over the freshmen. "However the winner from the Beginner group gets out of doing extra workouts unfortunately I cannot promise getting out of cleanup."

Cheers shortly came from the freshmen group and Makarov smiled, "This is different from the Intermediate group. So sorry for you guys but it's a life and death match for y'all. The winner from the Intermediate group will face the winner of the Advanced group and the ultimate winner will be decided in that match. Now the rules remain the same as always. I will be overseeing the Advanced and Intermediate Matches while Erza supervises the Beginner Matches. Now if no one doesn't have any questions which you should not we will now proceed with sign ups.." No one left and simply stared back except for Celestia who silently rose from the back of the group and immediately signed herself up for the Intermediate group. Once she wrote her number, she positioned herself on one of the benches on the sidelines.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL STARING AT ME FOR? GO SIGN UP!" He screeched at the boys and they all scrambled to their feet. Like a stampede of animals, they all ran over one another for the sheets and fought to sign up. Like a scientist, Celestia observed their actions from the sidelines and voiced disapproval in her head at their rushed approach. There really wasn't a point to rush since they'll all fight one another in the end. Sighing she estimated fifteen minutes wasted before they'd finally get something productive done.

As predicted, it took the exact amount of time Celestia predicted for them all to sign up and get into their sections. Most of the freshmen class were in beginner with the exception of two or three being in intermediate. A good three-quarter of the upperclassmen were in intermediate also and the remaining quarter being in Advanced. All the boys were now gathered on the benches and were trash-talking each other in the waiting period.

"Y'all are going down. The prize is mine and I don't care who stands in my way. I'll obliterate you all."

"Yeah right. You haven't held a sword before until last month. There's no way you'll beat me who's been fencing since I was five."

"Gihi. I eat iron. You all have nothing on me."

"ALRIGHT YOU ALL SHUT UP!" Makarov barked and waved his cane in the air. "I'll now choose the matches through sticks with your names on them so LISTEN UP! I'll say them once and only once."

With the matches made, the pair faced down on the mat and the winner progressed to the next round after a short five minute match. Celestia was steadily winning all of her matches and wasting little effort by dodging all the attacks until she finds an opening and hits her opponent. She finally made it to the final round breaking little sweat and was ready to face her final opponent after her five minute break. Sitting on a bench with a plastic water bottle in hand, she watched the ongoing advanced matches and tried to guess who was fighting who underneath the helmets.

The losers from the first round were resting on the sidelines close to her and they've taken off their helmets which made elimination easier. _So Rufus, Bixslow, Elfman, Rogue, Orga, and even LAXUS lost in the first round. His opponent must have been strong if he's out already._ She thought to herself as she crossed out the names she remembered from the list of people on Erza's attendance sheet.

 _Okay so that leaves Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Sting (ew)._ She examined the remaining two pairs which currently were sparring. _Well Gajeel is obviously the towering beast in the pair on the right. He has the biggest build of all of them and I can see his messy black hair sticking out in the back._ Her fingers twitched and she pressed her lips together slightly. _Man it bothers me I am craving to tuck his hair or brush it. AHHH I WANT TO FIX IT SO BAD-_ _Wait focus Celestia one of these boys are going to be your next opponent._ Her gaze bounced to the next pair and she immediately recognized the fighting style of the two… and their brash childlike insults to one another.

"What was that, Ice Princess?! Are you losing your touch? I never seen such a weak jab!"

"Oh shut it, Pinky! I'll have you know your footwork is sloppy. You almost fell on your fat ass back there about two seconds ago."

 _God they can't stop arguing for one second. It's a good thing for the both of them that Erza is too busy refereeing the beginner matches._ She thought to herself before making bets on who was going to win. _Although Gray is pretty strong, Natsu would probably beat him with his animalistic instincts._ At that moment, Natsu pushed Gray back over to his half of the mat and Gray misstepped with his right foot. He landed on the uneven split between the two mats and stumbled backwards. In that one moment, Natsu took advantage of the weakness and rushed forward with his sword. Attempting a desperate recovery, Gray tried to swipe his sword also towards Natsu's torso to scare him away. Natsu however had the balance and agility to sidestep before he could touch. With a poke, Gray lost the match.

 _Well that's the end of that match. Sting is most likely Gajeel's opponent since he's not on the sidelines…_ She examined the match and winced when Sting made an unexpected poke at Gajeel's torso that should have been easy for someone with good agility to dodge. However Gajeel's heavy build made it harder for him to leap away. Sighing, Celestia looked at her nail beds already knowing how the round would end.

Suddenly, a heavy weight landed on the bench next to her. Heavy breathes would come out of that person's mouth and he would yank off their helmet to utilize the cool air. "Ahhhh I'm so tired. Ce, I'm taking the water." He reached out for it and she handed it over without any protest. She cocked her head to the side as she examined Natsu's condition. He slumped his body over as he gulped the water down and she forced him to straighten his back. It was easier to catch his breath that way.

"You overworked yourself again. You're puddling." She said in a low voice and shook her head at him. "How am I going to face you if you don't have any energy to get through the next match?" She scolded lightly and used a towel from the stack next to her to wipe the sweat off of Natsu's brow. He grumbled while she did and retorted, "It's no fun if you don't go all out, Ce. Plus my first match was against Laxus and there is _no_ way I'm letting him beat me."

"I guess that's to be expected of you… I would have made fun of you if you let him beat you too." She admitted and Natsu growled lightly and nudged her. She quietly laughed but it was hidden under her helmet.

"THE LAST INTERMEDIATE MATCH WILL BEGIN IN FIVE MINUTES. FENCERS TAKE YOUR PLACES." Makarov announced and pointed his cane at the mat.

"That's my cue. I'll see you on the mat for the last match. Don't let that Sting beat you. He's annoying." She bid him goodbye and walked over into position on the mat. Her opponent also got onto the mat shortly after her and she took the remaining time to examine and evaluate her opponent. He was shorter than her by a few inches but bulkier in muscle. She noted the awkward hold he had on his sword and inferred he hadn't much practice with this type of weapon. It's more likely he has used a heavier, thicker sword since he's using both hands to grip the handle.

"Five minutes are up! Both fencers get into positions." Makarov ordered and sat in the chair he had a student move in front of the mats. She crouched slight, bending at the knees, using her right hand. She moved her grip closer to the base of the handle so her opponent would have a harder time knocking it out of her hands with his extra strength. Taking a deep breath, she analyzed her opponent's stance while listening to the instructor.

"You all remember the rules. Five minutes is the time limit. No roughhousing and first poke wins." He listed the rules off quickly and efficiently without taking a single breath, "Alright… Begin!"

In a second, her opponent immediately slashed and jabbed his sword at her, seeming to be rushing to end the match. With her free arm and pivot foot, she easily dodged the swipes and lead her opponent twice around the mat and parried his swipes away a couple of times. While going through her matches, she counted dollars for every opening she saw and made sure to finish her opponent by the fifth dollar. She counted three dollars so far but her opponent wasn't too bad despite his uneven agility. Suddenly, he leaped forward, his blade pointing straight, and Celestia once more moved swiftly to the right. _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me._ She pleaded silently to herself feeling bad for taking advantage of the easier level. She used her blade to cover her back and clashed against his blade shortly. She wiped around while his momentum propelled him forward, unable to change trajectory. Continuing her sword swipe downward, she poked against his calf, ending the match.

"Match end. Victory to number 18. There will be a ten minute break before the final match." Makarov shouted and made some marks on his clipboard. He then leaped off his chair to observe the final advanced match with Erza watching over. Celestia's breathing was more labored than before and she, too, was surprised at how tired she was. Her opponent was stronger than she expected and she devised a plan in her head on how she was going to get water unseen.

"Ahhhh dammit! I was so close this time! Dad said he'd treat me if I won… What am I going to tell him now!" Her opponent threw his helmet on the soft ground and he had a cruel frown hanging on his lips, his choppy black hair dripping with sweat. Celestia glanced at the commotion and raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw who it was. _Romeo. He was the boy who admired Natsu a lot. He hanged around their castle a lot when he was younger._ She smiled under the helmet at fond childhood memories. _His dad is one of the strongest knights so he has really big shoes to fill. He did really well though._

Without thinking, she quickly walked past Romeo and patted him on the shoulder. "You're getting better, Romeo. You almost beat me with that swipe at my thighs earlier. Fix your stance and your hold on the sword and you would have got me. I'm proud of you." She praised him in a low voice and brushed past him as if she said nothing. Romeo stared back at her and his eyes followed her as she walked away. His eyes were wide, shock clear on his face, as he recognized the voice but couldn't seem to put a finger on it.

She made eye contact with Natsu from where he was sitting on the floor and motioned with her head to the door. He nodded understanding and made his way first out of the class. After a count of two minutes, she followed him outside the door and walked down the hall towards the water fountain by the girl's bathroom. It was silent in the hallway with almost no one in the multi-use room except for the gym class, their class, and a few odd students.

Looking both ways, she made sure the coast was clear before she took off her helmet. Her hair tumbled down her back in a clump as the bun had come undone and sweat began to form along her brow. Her cheeks were tinted with a soft pink and she combed her hair with a hand. Bending over, she took long slurps from the water fountain before a shadow fell over her, the person blocking her from view.

"Having fun beating up the underclassmen, Ce? It's kind of cowardly of you to get the easy way out don't you think?" Natsu poked at her and pouted his lips as he leaned on a bent pole next to it. His philosophy is that you don't do well unless you put 110% into everything you do. Celestia gulped down a few more slurps of water and after wiping her mouth on her sleeve, she responded to Natsu in her cool manner, "You know what else is unfair the fact that I'm the only female in the class. You all have training and muscle power which I don't as a princess and the advanced class is full of men who'd probably obliterate me in a second. So tell me _**Nii-chan**_ is it really unfair of me to be intermediate?"

Natsu swallowed a thick gulp from her prickly address towards him and shook his head. She chuckled at the fear on his face and using the rubber band on her wrist, she tied her long silver hair back into a bun. "So how'd Sting beat your ass?" She inquired and Natsu's jaw clenched as he roared. "UGHHH! I COULD HAVE TOTALLY BEAT HIS ASS IF… HE DIDN'T CHEAT! AHHHH HOW DID HE GET ALL THE EASIER OPPONENTS! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET HIM BUT THEN HIS SWORD JUST HIT MY BACK AND UGH! HOW'D YOU KNOW?"

"You looked angry since the beginning. You're gritting your teeth like you usually do." She listed her observation and he raked his hands through his hair. He groaned and Celestia patted his back as they walked back together to the gym. _So I guess that makes him my opponent. This won't be easy._ She tried to think of a strategy and placed her stuffy helmet back over her head. _Natsu probably weakened him out a little bit and his previous matches must have also dealt his strength to a bearable point for me._ _I can't use his weight against him like Gajeel and he has the same animalistic instincts like Natsu…._

"CE YOU HAVE TO BEAT HIM FOR ME ALRIGHT? AVENGE OUR FAMILY NAME!" Natsu screamed and leaped side to side. "Shhhh I don't want people knowing I'm a girl and going easy on me. And yes I'll try to restore honor to our family name." She adjusted her chest plate and Natsu smiled his big goofy grin as he draped his arm across her shoulder, "That's the spirit Ce. I know I can count on you!"

"Alright. The final match will now commence. We have the winner from Advanced Match who revealed himself as Sting Eucliffe. Surprisingly this idiot made it this far despite some of the stupid shit he did before. And his opponent is uh… well number 18." Makarov announces as Celestia and Sting stand a foot away from each on the mat. Everyone crowded around to watch the last match and Natsu was directly behind Celestia's side of the mat. He still had his big goofy grin plastered on his face and his fist clenched in anticipation.

"You'll start in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight, seven…" They both got into stance and Celestia took note of him. His stance was better than Romeo's significantly and they mirrored each other almost completely. His grip was a little different than hers and he had a little more leap and lithe in his step. "Six, five.." He leaned more on his left side and wasn't walking as fast as before. She noticed how he seemed to drag his heels a little into the soft mat. "Four, three, two…" He also looked straight at her face though he couldn't see her facial expression. For some reason, he wasn't wearing his helmet and was facing her despite the risk of her possibly jabbing him in the face.

"One! BEGIN!" At the sound of the start, Sting widened his stance and barreled towards her, sword out poised to attack. He was underestimating her for simply being the intermediate winner and from her small build he assumed she was weak. Thinking fast, she calculated the speed and length of his stride in ratio with the distance and ran also towards him but with her sword closer to her body. With a faster acceleration, she got closer to Sting first and at the last second, leaned back and slide between his legs before he could close them. She parried his blade by pushing upwards and he used his to block his crotch. Once passing through his legs, she immediately hit the back of his legs before he could recover from the provocative, vulnerable position. Celestia has claimed her victory.

Sting fell to the ground, teeth clenched together, as he replayed the last moment in his head over and over again. It was all too fast for him. It happened almost instantaneous. He couldn't hear anything. He saw Instructor Makarov's lips moving and the crowds' mouths opening and closing but no sound. The crowds of people rushed into to congratulate the winner and Natsu was the first to lift him on his shoulders. His eyes darted to the winner and his fists closed even tighter with resolve. He vowed to beat this person and become better. His stomach then dropped when the said person removed their helmet.

"CE YOU HAVE REPLENISHED OUR FAMILY NAME! I'M TREATING YOU TO YOUR FAVORITE PLACE AFTER SCHOOL… AFTER I BORROW MONEY FROM LUCY!" He shouted and she simply patted his head. Despite winning the tournament, she didn't appear too happy or showing any emotion. Everyone was aghast and shocked along with Sting when she revealed herself. It was only Natsu and Gajeel who weren't shocked at her reveal. "Natsu please let me down. It's embarrassing up here. Also please stop yelling, you're going to lose your voice." She chided him as she tried to climb down but he stubbornly held on. Romeo was laughing at Natsu's behavior and looking in awe of Celestia remembering who she is now.

 _Are you fucking kidding me?_ Sting's teeth made a clenching sound as he sees he was beaten by none other than a girl. "Who is she? Who does she think she is enrolling in an all male class?" He growled and slammed the mat in anger. "She's the girl you dissed at lunch. You know Celestia or in your case, Ms "Selene". The 'nobody cocksucker who has no friends'." Rogue quoted behind him before he nudged Sting with his foot. "Get up idiot. You're being a drama queen." Sting grumbled at being called an idiot but still rose to his feet. His gaze still stayed strongly on Natsu who had his hands gripped tightly around Celestia's waist. He then noticed the jealous, "burning" gaze of Gray Fullbuster and the never seen grin on Gajeel's face as he ruffled her hair.

 _Huh I guess there really is more to her than I thought._ He thought to himself as he examined her once more except deeper than before with more analysis. _Who are you, Celestia Namazaki?_ Turning to Rogue, he murmured, "We have some research to do."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 8: Fate Is A Strange Word**_

The ball has rang signaling the end of school and most of the students were heading home in their carriages or limousines parked in the front or the school parking lot. Except for some of the overachieving students like Celestia who was now heading dejectedly out of the library. Her head was down, heavy with sadness, and sighs were coming out of her lips. Her feet made heavy sounds on the stairs as she walked in the opposite direction of the students heading inside to study.

"Gosh darn I can't believe those two already took all of the shifts. I wanted one, just one, but Lucy and Levy love their jobs as library assistants so much!" She raved softly and grumpily stuffed her hands into her blazer pockets. When she got to the bottom of the steps, she flipped her phone out from her skirt pocket and checked the time. _Okay it's 3:10. Hatsune probably wouldn't like me coming in to check on her this early. She would kick me out in a second…_ Celestia deadpanned and pursed her lips in thought before remembering Yuuta's begs of her becoming the girls' soccer team manager. _Well it's not like I have a choice now. If I want to get out of the house, this is my only chance.. Natsu is also on the boys' soccer team. He owes me that meal._

She nodded her head, confirming her plans to becoming the manager. She took a right from the school library entrance, taking a paved path to the locker room. Slightly remembering the details Yuuta rambled to her, she recalled that practice started at 3:30 on the soccer fields and that the coaches hung out in the locker room beforehand to do paperwork. Fall was getting an early start with the trees around them starting to harbor multicolored leaves and the air getting chillier in the afternoon. Bringing her hands closer, she breathed warm air on them before checking a text from her parents. She let out a breath of relief when she saw it was confirmation of them clearing her to tutor Wendy for the night. She skimmed over the reminders to go to school the next day and all the other unusual necessities. Turning off the device, she placed it back into her pocket so she didn't have to worry about running into any student on the way.

She gazed upwards lost in thought at the clear blue sky and wondered what future was she going to have. One of freedom seemed so far away and one of chained to an arranged, failing marriage corroded her back. She sighed but closed those thought away when she came to the locker room building. Reaching the back of the building first, she walked to the far right and knocked on the girl's locker room office door. She assumed the coach was a female and barely remembers Yuuta mentioning something about it. The door swung open from the inside and a small blonde girl dressed in a baggy dark punk t-shirt and green shorts with a bring pink whistle around her neck stood in the doorway, "Yes Celestia may I help you?"

"Madame Mavis are you the girls soccer team coach? My close friend has informed me there is a vacancy for the position of the team manager? I would like to apply for that position please." She responded formally and waited for confirmation. She knew the "girl" as her third period "Advanced Etiquette" instructor. The women looked really young for her age and she is also the dean of the school. Celestia is impressed with what the dean juggles and wonders how she has any time to herself. Before her thought process could progress more, she catches Mavis's grimace and the distressed look in her eyes. Wondering if she got something wrong, she questioned, "Is something wrong?" She paused and then wondered if she got the wrong person. "I'm sorry are you not the soccer coach? Did I make the wrong assumption? I'm sorry for wasting your time if you are."

Mavis then stuck her arms out in front of her and shook them. "No no, we actually do need a manager." She then pointed to the left using the same hand. "Go talk to Coach Zeref and tell him his wife sent you. He'll give you the paperwork and show you around." Celestia nodded her head and bidded goodbye to Mavis, "Thank Madame Mavis. I'll be going there now." She turned and started towards the opposing office on the other side. A thought of the punk shirt she was wearing being her husband popped up in the back of her head but she tucked the thought away, deeming it unimportant and inappropriate.

"Bye Celesta. I'll see you later… I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help to you." Celestia looked back after a few steps in confusion but before she could ask any more questions, Mavis waved and closed the door. _Well that was… interesting_ She thought to herself and shrugged, dismissing the thought. After a short two minute walk around the building, she made to the door and knocked on it gently but firmly.

"Agh! Do I need to keep telling you boys to just walk into the office through the locker room is it that har-" The door flew open with a dark mop of hair ranting but it stopped when it noticed it was Celestia and not one of the players. "I'm sorry but who are you?" The grumpy person asked and blew his dark hair out of his face. The coach was tall, much taller than his wife Mavis, and he was wearing a similar punk rock shirt that she wearing before except teamed with a pair of cargo shorts and he had a clipboard and a stopwatch in his arms. A dark gloomy gaze was plastered over his face and his thin lips were pressed into a wild snark. While most people would have been shocked or scared, Celestia's face bore the same blank expression. Sure she felt her heart beating fast as if it was about to jump out of her chest but her face was the same as if it was cut off from the switch that connected emotions. Without missing a beat, she introduced herself in her all business manner, "Hello Coach Zeref. I am Celestia Namazaki and your wife Mavis sent me here to grab the paperwork to apply to become the manager of the soccer team. I was informed there was an empty spot and that a manager was needed effectively. I am a hard worker and I would like to contribute my abilities to better and assist the soccer team."

Zeref raised an eyebrow in surprise and he tapped a finger on the clipboard he was holding in her hand. He wasn't expecting someone to apply in fact no one has applied in years since they were afraid of him. He simply stared at her thinking and Celestia had a short mental breakdown inside of herself while he did. After a count of ten seconds, he had a smirk spread across his face and stepped back motioning for her to come into his office.

After a moment of hesitation, she followed him inside and felt the warm air of indoor heating blow over her. The office smelled a little musty like a combination of different men's colognes and had gym equipment lying around everywhere in an orderly mess. There were three computers on top of a long desk along one wall and several rolly chairs next to it. There was a clear window showing into the locker room but Zeref was closing the curtains at the moment to shield her eyes. Once he was done so he pulled two rolly chair to be across from each other and motioned for her to sit in one of them. She took a seat in the one closest to her and stopped herself from crying out when she sank into the soft seat more than she expected. Zeref, too, took a seat and started shuffling through the papers in his clipboard before taking one out.

"There really isn't any paperwork for you to complete other than a signed slip from your parents saying they'll agree to let you manage for the team and your signature also. Here is the slip but you can stick around and see what you need to do and who the team is." She nodded and when he handed the slip of paper over to her, she skimmed over it and she had a moment of confusion when her eyes landed on the word "BOYS SOCCER TEAM". Pursing her lips, she cleared her throat to signal she wanted to say something and Zeref raised an eyebrow. He paused before asking a question as if he didn't want to, "Is there um something wrong?"

"Yes. I was told there was a vacancy for the GIRLS soccer team. I didn't know I was signing up for the boys." She explained and raised her gaze back to Zeref's face and noticed the similar grim look on his face to the one Mavis was supporting before. There was another pause of silence as they simply stared at each other. _Coach Zeref is considering something about me._ She inferred and patiently waited for an answer. A sigh came from between his lips and he has seem to decided to provide some information. "Yeah you're too late to sign up for the manager of the girls team." He rushed on before she could say anything in response, "However the boys team still doesn't have one and we're in desperate need of one. I usually wouldn't ask this because most girls would manage a team to gawk at the boys but you seem to be responsible and could care less about the boys." He also seemed to be observing her like she was doing to him. "Am I right? You must be looking for something to do after school if you're asking to be a manager."

Celestia did a "Zeref" and stared back at him considering her options. Although it was disappointing that she couldn't help the girls team, she still needed an excuse to stay away longer from home. Managing the boys team didn't seem too bad besides the smell of the locker room and the boys but the coach seems to be pretty nice. His sense of humor intrigued her and her parents would probably strongly approve of her managing the boys team. They'd assume she'd finally compelled to their wishes and was using the team as a way to scout for potential boyfriends.

"I'm fine with being the boys team manager." Her words seemed to rise Zeref's spirits and she placed the paper in her school bag. "I'll bring the sheet back tomorrow signed and I think I would like to stay and learn my duties today." She figured if she was going to do the job she might as well as put in the effort. She heard from Yuuta the soccer team was one of the better renowned teams of the school and didn't want to make half baked efforts around something so serious. A grin spread across Zeref's face as he rose from his chair.

"Great to have you onboard, Namazaki. Do you have a jersey or sweats to change into? If not, what you're wearing now is fine since all we're doing is tryouts today. I need you to record down information for me and help me run drills." He moved to the desk and picked a clipboard off of it. "This will be yours. I'll explain all the paperwork outside. If you need to change, you can use this office. Be sure to lock the door after I leave." He nodded at her before he took the clipboard with him and closed the door behind him. A clicking sound occurred from the outside as he closed the door. A few seconds later, she could hear him barking orders at the remaining boys outside.

"Well that happened faster and different from expected." She got up and after making sure the door was closed, she got changed into the extra clothes she carried in her bag. Reaching into her bag, she took out a jersey and a pair of sweatpants and placed them gently on the chair she was sitting on. The clothes were from the sports team she had joined her freshman year. The jersey was from the school's track team and the sweat pants were from cross country. Celestia liked to run a lot in her free time from a young age since it takes her mind off of her parents and was a good way to blow off steam. She was so good at running that she was on the varsity teams for both despite being a freshman. However, her grades suffered from the pressure and time she put into the teams so this year she had to skip out on cross country. Coach Sagittarius was disappointed in giving up one of his promising runners and pleaded with her which was a sad scene but she needed her parents to get off of her back. Managing seems to be easier since she wasn't competing and she could multitask while on the job.

Taking off her blazer and sweater, she pushed the clothes into the bottom of her bag after carefully folding them. She then unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the ground. Stepping out of it, she dusted it off before putting it into also into the bag. She quickly got into the clothes she had placed in her bag and after putting then on, she made a quick sweep of the floor making sure she didn't drop anything. Gathering her bag in her arms, she left the office and entered the boy's changing area which was now empty except for Coach Zeref who was waiting for her.

"We're going to head over to the soccer fields now. Most of the boys are already there or on the way there. They leave their bags in here so you can leave your stuff in my office for now. I can give you a small locker later or you can lock it in the cabinet in my desk." She listened to his instructions and after walking back in, she simply laid her backpack on the chair she was sitting on before. "It's fine. There's nothing important in it besides homework." She walked to Zeref who handed her the clipboard he's prepared for her. She first took the pencil out from its holder before skimming through the pages on it. The first two were blank columns waiting to be filled while the rest were mostly roll call and rules and regulations.

"Today you're going to be writing down scores and names of valuable players along with the positions they want to play. We're assembling the varsity and junior varsity. There's a fewer people than yesterday since today is the second day of official tryouts. Don't worry about messing up but please try to make few mistakes." Zeref's voice started to sound fainter as he walked out of the locker room fast and Celestia had to walk in longer, quicker strides to keep up. She noticed he was carrying a backpack and piped up, "Is that the first aid kit?" He didn't turn around but the proud tone in his response showed he was pleased with her, "Why yes it is. Good observation. You'll be in charge of this and of providing first aid to players. I hope your knowledge is up to point."

Celestia made a mental note to brush up on her first aid and to check out some books. "I'm pretty average at it but I have knowledge of first aid." She confessed as they made fast progress as they moved from the back of the locker room to the soft grassy fields which were a good 300 meters from the locker room. The field was nice with trimmed grass and goals on either side. There were bleachers on one side of the field and a score board set up across from it. A big group of about 100 or so boys were positioned in the center of the field and most were doing static stretches. Zeref lead her to the patch and all the boys immediately stood up in a straight line when they saw the coach. The freshmen and even some of the upperclassmen seemed to shake under his steely gaze.

"Now for all you newcomers who still don't know me, I am Zeref and I am the coach of the boys soccer team. Address me as Coach Zeref or sir. I am your coach not your friend so please refrain from calling me buddy or pal or by my first name." He addressed the group before motioning for Celestia who stood silently behind him the entire time to step forward. "And this is our new manager Celestia Namazaki." His tone then dropped to an even colder tone from before and it seemed to drip with poison. "She is the first manager we've had in ten years and I want you all to respect her with all you have. We are not going to lose the first respectable manager I've seen in all my years. If any of you disrespect her, I'm kicking you off this team regardless if you're on varsity or junior varsity. Don't give her extra work than she needs and remember she is your manager not your slave. _**Am I understood?**_ " He asked and all the boys gulped before answering with a loud "YES SIR".

Celestia scanned the crowd while he talked and recognized a good handful of the students who came to try out. She could see Natsu and Gray bickering quietly while Gajeel watched them with an amused expression on his face and Jellal stared off into the distance. On the right near the front, she spotted Laxus with a few of his lackeys in the crowd. There was Elfman, Orga, and even skinny Rufus mixed in. Celestia raised an eyebrow when she was tiny Romeo with some of the freshmen and wondered if he actually liked soccer or was simply following Natsu. Her mood instantly soured when her gaze onto a blonde spiky hair boy who smirked when they made eye contact.

 _Sting again… Why do we keep meeting-_ She pursed her lips together and her grip tightened on the clipboard. Surprisingly, he was also in her last two periods. He sat in the same row as her in Language and was in her Astronomy class, too. Celestia was mostly surprised he was in Astronomy since she didn't peg him as a guy who liked looking at the stars. They didn't talk in either of those periods but at this point, it was official they had their entire schedule together. Dear Mavis someone save her.

"Okay. We're going to warm up now. I want you to run two laps around the field. Manager Namazaki will record your times and you will do stretches afterward. The required time is 3:30. Anyone over the time by even a second is out. LINE UP and I want a **straight** line." Zeref ordered and the boys immediately started to line up in front of him, scrambling to get in order. While they panicked, Zeref whirled to instruct Celestia, 'I'll be calling out times for the first lap and the second lap. You only have to record the times for the second lap in the second column. You write their names in the first column and it has to be last name then first name because I'm old fashioned." She held her laughter back and simply nodded at his comment.

Zeref sighed and hung his head at her bland response, "Didn't get you to laugh huh? Well I'll be starting soon. Are you ready?" She nodded in response and made an "Okay" sign with her thumb and index finger. "ALRIGHT YOU ALL SHUT UP! WE'RE STARTING AFTER A COUNT OF THREE. ON ONE YOU START RUNNING! THREE… TWO… ONE!"


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 9: Cut Fingers Make Blood Sting**_

"Okay Hatsune this isn't that bad.. Yeah I can totally save this and Celestia would eat it! I'm sure this won't kill her!" She cried as she stared at the blackened soupy creation known as a cheesecake rest in its cake pan. Picking up the piece of paper she left beside her, she looked through the instructions and tried to find out what she had done wrong. The paper had been misplaced multiple times throughout the procedure and it was caked with splatters of butter, sugar, flour, and cream cheese. Flicking the curdled bits off, she revealed the covered letters on the paper and she groaned in despair with tears in her eyes when she encountered a list of mistakes. She spilled so many ingredients on the paper that when she checked for the amount she had to second guess since she was unable to see and her hands were caked in dough. She doubled the wet ingredients and only added half or one third of the dry ingredients needed. To add on top of it, she used to the wrong tools and baked the pie for a short amount of time under a heat that's too hot.

Knowing Celestia wouldn't be able to eat this without Hatsune's being accused of poisoning, she dumped her burning creation into the trash using a mitten after prying the burned creation from the pan. Scrapping her original project, she decided to start with an easier dish. A peppy smile spread across her face when she reminisced about how much Celestia and her loved eating macaroni and cheese together. It was something special between them. Feeling more excited than before, her mood switched around instantly and energy seemed to buzz from her body. Jumping on the tips of her toes, she hopped to the back of the classroom to the closet which contained all the ingredients needed for most recipes. A pair of red, watchful eyes followed her to the back and a look of curiosity come over.

Usually at this time, Rogue would be heading home as his duties in the "go home club". However his parents had other ideas for him. They wanted Rogue to do something "productive" with his time and recommended that he joined soccer with his younger twin but Rogue doesn't like the sport to that extent. Being a pretty darn good cook and baker, he was able to apply for the alternative which was being the supervisor for any students who want to work on their assignments after school. In his opinion, the gig wasn't as bad as others thought. He only had to make sure none of the students chop any body parts off or burn down the school and he was able to do his homework quietly in the back. Well that was the case until the current situation.

Dumping the uncooked pasta noodles into a pot of water, she placed the heavy pot on top of the stove at her work station and turned the switch to power the gas stove to high. Finishing her prep work, she turned her back to the pot and focused her attention to the table full of ingredients in front of her. Gently pushing some of ingredients aside, she made room to examine the recipe which she held in her hand. Leaning on her elbows, she tucked her arms under her chest and carefully read each words of the instructions. _Okay I can do this!_ She encouraged herself and pumped her arms in front of her chest. Being the klutz she is, she decided to read over the recipe ten times to make sure she doesn't make any mistakes.

 _Step 1) Boil the macaroni in one pot. While the macaroni is boiling shred the cheese for the sauce._ Two minutes passed with the first read finished and the water had just started boiling the noodles. _Step 2) Place all the cheese into a saucepan under low heat_ Five minutes has passed by the third read through and steam started to escape under the lid of the pot. The water level had started to boil down. _Step 3) Add milk to the melted cheese mixture Note: Make sure to ALWAYS check on the macaroni_ She nodded her head at how the notes were good reminders to keep in mind while ironically the water in the pot all boiled leaving only overcooked macaroni left. _Step 4) Season the sauce with salt and pepper and gently stir the mixture until smooth_ A dark smoky smell wafted from the crack between the lid of the pot and black ash soon trickled out. Flames licked the top of the pot and as Hatsune whipped around to see what was wrong, she was met with a sudden heat pushing her back. She had set the stove on fire from boiling noodles. It took Hatsune a full second to realize that she had set the pot on fire but before she could panic, a thick dark blanket fell over her head and she felt someone carefully but firmly move her away.

A few seconds later, she heard the sharp hiss of the fire extinguisher go off and the blaze of the fire was quelled. Throwing the heavy covering off her head, she looked down at it in her hands and realized it was one of the fire blankets kept in class. The person who saved her was very practical and is a quick-thinker just like Celestia. Her eyes quickly swept up to see who it who saved her and they landed on a mop of black hair just a few inches taller than her. It was her project partner from Ichiya's class, the guy who sits next to her in first period.

 _I think his name was Rogue._ She thought while he placed the fire extinguisher on the ground before he quickly turned around to face her. In a kind but worried tone, he asked, "Are you okay? Do you have any burns? Did you inhale any smoke? Did the fire hurt you in any way?" A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she recollected all the times Celestia and Yuuta have said the same words to her so many times. She started to shake thinking of Celestia. She had failed her once again. Why did she choose such a worthless person as her lady-in-waiting? She couldn't do anything to help her and she only created more trouble.

"Hey are you okay?" Rogue asked again but more urgently this time. Snapping out of her trance, she nodded her head while rubbing her arms. "Yeah thanks to the fire blanket you threw on me. I didn't get burned too bad." Taking a step back, she lowered her head into a bow and apologized in a tight tone, "I'm so sorry for almost setting fire to the school. Please excuse my recklessness." Tears started to form in her eyes and she shut them tight to stop them from spilling. She could her lips starting to blubber and she clenched her teeth in annoyance wishing her emotions weren't so open. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down, expertly counting down seconds to slow her heartbeat from experience. After ten seconds, she had stopped shaking but still had tears in her eyes.

"Hey don't worry about the pot. It's probably not that burnt. We can just scrape the burnt macaroni off the bottom." Rogue reassured her as he turned the heat off.. His kind tone made Hatsune feel better and she appreciated how he didn't try to touch her. Forcing a smile to her face, she chirped back in a sickly sweet tone, "Yeah that's great! Sorry for worrying you. Don't worry about helping me. I don't want to trouble you anymore." Rogue paused and was silent, a thoughtful look on his face. After pondering for a few moments, he questioned in a calmly with careful wording, "You don't have to pretend you're okay around me. It's okay to have weaknesses. I think when your usual bubbly energy is much better than your stiff projection."

Her expression dropped and a more natural worried look came over her. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she pressed her lips together, cheeks puffed in annoyance at herself. Not caring about her image anymore, she released her anguish to him, "I wanted to make something nice for a close friend of mine. S-She is an amazing person and is incredibly kind to me… I tried making a dish we ate a lot from when we were young b-but I failed! I'm so useless!"

She wailed the last part and her hands clenched into tight fists like she wanted to hit something. Once again, she completed the three important steps to calm her rising heartbeat. After wiping her eyes out of habit, she shook her head and clapped her cheeks, "Okay thanks for the pep talk. I'll just clean up this mess and go home early. I don't want to make more trouble for the school."

She placed the fire blanket on top of the abandoned fire extinguisher and after putting on mittens, she moved the pot into the sink where she cooled it down with cold water (see she knows fire safety). Steam rose from the hot metal and using a spoon, she painstakingly scrapped the burnt macaroni from the bottom. Her hold on the spoon was loose and she ended up smacking her hand against the side of the pot, scrapping her knuckles. Hissing, she held her hand to her chest, the pain intensifying from the soap. Before Rogue could offer her an help, she wiped her hand clean of the soap and put gloves on without checking the injury. A determined look on her face, she managed to scrape and clean the bowl without another mishap.

Rogue knew he should have stopped her but he couldn't when she looked so stubborn. When she finished, he spoke up, "You should check your scrape. It could get infected. I'll show you where the first aid kit is so you can treat it." He retracted a kit from below her workstation and motioned for her to take a seat on a nearby stool. When she sat down, he slowly took her hand into his and after he peeled her glove off, he carefully cleaned the scrape before placing a band-aid on it. Hatsune was silent the entire time Rogue tended to her with a bewildered look on her face. Not a lot of people outside her friend group really looked after her and usually just ignored her after her initial rejection. Rogue was different. He was kind. A soft blush came across her cheeks and she could feel a grin peeking at her lips. That is until she thought about the unmade dish.

"There all wrapped up. You should be more careful from now on." He brushed over her fingers when he was putting the band-aid on and upon closer inspection, he noticed a bunch of little marks and scars on her knuckles and palms. He was impressed. It's been a while since he's seen such a hard-working person. _"How adorable,"_ He thought to himself as she gave off the nature of a small child to him with calluses all over her palms. With this observation, he made the inference that Hatsune was very diligent with tasks which he found credible. He wondered why she needed to work so much and who she was. Besides her being his partner and seatmate, he didn't know much about her. Though thinking back, he has heard a few rumors about her such as her musical talents. Looking closer at her, she really resembled a small child with her big eyes, button nose, and apple red cheeks. She reminded him of Sting when he was little and was a small cute boy who couldn't do anything for himself. Rolling his eyes, he thought of the current Sting who still couldn't do anything for himself.

Feeling a little reminiscent, he gave a proposal while putting the kit back under the counter, "You don't have to clean up early. It'd be a shame for you to do all this work but bring home nothing with you. I'll help you make the dish. It's suppose to be my job anyways-"

His offer was interrupted by Hatsune's hands which grabbed his wrists and pumped his own hands up and down. With a big dazzling smile, she exclaimed with pure joy on her face, "Really! That would be so amazing! Thank you so much!" Baffled at her levels of enthusiasm, Rogue simply nodded his head in response before carefully removing his hands from her grip and putting on an apron.

"Let's get started shall we?"

"Yes Instructor Rogue!"

In all his years of baking and being a teacher's assistant, he has never seen someone as clumsy as Hatsune. She had trouble doing simple tasks and has tripped on nothing about three times in the past five minutes. She fumbled with mixing, skipped details in the recipe, and her attention span was spotty. It is a surprise they have made it through the entire recipe without a major mess up. Despite her clumsiness, she was determined to finish it to the end and didn't let any of her small mistakes discourage her. He was impressed at how many times she kept getting up and felt inspired by her. He wished he was as determined and strong-willed as she was and was incredibly proud of the dish they created together in the end. They had placed it in the oven to bake one last time and after the timer beeped, he took it out of the oven, letting the gooey cheesy smell wash over them.

"AHHHH!" Hatsune screeched, clutching her hands to her chest, and jumped up and down in glee. Tears of happiness peeked the edges of her eyes and a huge grin cracked across her face. "I can't believe I did this!" Whirling around, she wrapped Rogue in a big hug and flashed him one of her blinding smiles, her apple red cheeks flushed with happiness, "Thank you so much for not giving up on me, Instructor Rogue! I couldn't have done this without you!"

"I-It's no problem." He stuttered with a deep flush across his cheeks too. Remember when Rogue thought she was a little kid. Yeah scratch that. Her large bust pressed against him during the hug and Rogue found it hard to keep a straight face in the embrace. Hatsune was definitely not a little girl. Coughing, he looked the other direction and lied through his teeth, "I'm sorry but can you let go, I am unable to breath."

Immediately releasing her hold, Hatsune quickly bowed her head to apologize, "Oh my- I'm so sorry! I must have been so inappropriate hugging you like that/ Please excuse my behavior!" Stepping back, she created a space between her and the dark prince. Feeling embarrassed, she peeked at him with downcast eyes and harbored a small cuter version of her enormous grin, "In any case, I am very thankful for your act of kindness."

Rogue felt a tightening in his chest and a flash of head across his cheeks from her compliment and couldn't help but notice how her smile dazed him. Looking down, he scratched the back of his head and covered his tomato red face, "Don't worry about it. It's my job as the student advisor. I hope your close friend appreciates the hard work you put into the dish."

Hatsune merely flashed him a small thumbs-up and held up the container of the dish Rogue had prepared for her. (What a man. Where can you get a house husband like this?) "Of course! My friend eats everything I make… even if it could kill her-" Rogue laughed at her commentary and gave her one of his rare grins, "Well I'm sure this dish won't kill her this time."

"Hatsune are you here? Let's go home!"


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer:**_

I own none of these characters except my own. All the official Fairy Tail characters are owned by Hiro Mashima.

 _ **Ch 10: Noobs Aren't Losers**_

 _Well soccer conditioning is rough_ Celestia thought to herself as she sat outside the boys locker room, reviewing what happened. Zeref was a ruthless coach and had already cut half of the boys who had showed up for try-outs that day. She reviewed his notes and he had already chosen the varsity team and was now working on the junior varsity team. His notes were a little confusing to her since she was a little new to the concept of soccer. From years of exposure from Natsu, she knew the basic rules and a little bit of the skills needed but she isn't quite clear about what type of training or what the specific rules are. Making plans to visit the library tomorrow, she made a mental note to check books on soccer rules and a brush up on first aid.

"Hey Ce. let's roll!" A rough hand grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Grabbing her bag while being pulled up, she landed easily on her feet and dusted off her pants. "You seem impatient to get out of here. What's the rush? Hungry?" Her cousin's arm was then draped over her shoulder and he leaned against her as he retorted, "You should know the answer to the question by now. I feel like I could eat a ship full of food. Steaks, hamburgers, pizza…" He drooled and snuggled up to Celestia as if she was said food. "I need some MEAT!" She rolled her eyes at his extra affection for his food and lead him towards the parking lot, "You are so excessive sometimes. I can't believe you."

In front of the locker room door, a pair of dark blue eyes stared at the pair leaving. Sting chewed his bottom lip and his crossed arms tightened over his chest. _Who is this girl? What is her relationship with Natsu?_ He analyzed their behavior and added it to his previous inferences. _She's obviously important to him from how overprotective he is. I never seen him this close to someone of the opposite sex before… Are they dating?_ He shook his head, doubting his idol. _I may admire him but he is a real coconut head. He wouldn't know someone is flirting with him even if they kissed him… It doesn't mean I can rule out that option._

"Cadence, your father and I are surprised that you suddenly decided to become the soccer team's manager and we were a little cautious at first. But after we discussed it further, we saw the potential behind this "choice" of yours." Her mother's voice whispered into her head as she shoved her uniform and tracksuit into her go away bag, frustration clear in her motions. She had expected this kind of reaction from them but it still bothers her how intent they were to marry her off like she was some object to bid on. " _I hope you bring home a lovely son-in-law soon…"_ The words sent her fuming as she walked over to the bathroom to fix the arrangement she had on the sink counter. She moved the cups of toothpaste, brushes, along with the flowerpots to the opposite of where it was before. Her next victim would be the reflective surfaces in the bathroom which she scrubbed vigorously until it sparkled and shined.

With her frustration leaving her body, she packed the rest of her belongings and flopped onto her bed, covering her face with her hands. Sighing, she relished the silent calmness of the current situation and tried to empty her mind of her parents. _Calm down Celestia. You only have two more years left before you get out of this stupid prison… Well until the parentals sell you off to the highest bidding prince which benefits them. Maybe I'll find my own mindless puppet of a prince to use as my stepping stone to the throne._ She chuckled at her own sarcastic remark and a thought crossed her mind. _Maybe I can use that useless second in line Prince Sting Eucliffe._ She waved her hand through the air as if to dispel such an idiotic idea. _Not likely. I would not be able to deal with his stupidity too long. Our personalities would clash too much._

"Yip! Yip! Yip!" A small warm body landed upon her upper body and a warm wet tongue lapped at her hands. Smiling, laughter trickled from her lips as she moved the tiny body from on top of her. Hugging it to her chest, she placed a kiss on its head before getting off the bed, "Why hello there Ophiuchus. I missed you all day, buddy." Ophiuchus responded by licking her cheek which only made her laugh more. Ophiuchus was her pet dog and is a mixed Yorkshire terrier breed. She found him cowering in one of the neighboring villages' alleyways as a small puppy and gained its trust after a few weeks of bringing food for it every day. Wanting to make sure it was healthy, she took it to a certified veterinarian who vaccinated the puppy and gave Celestia clear instructions on how to raise the pup. With a few bumps in the road, she raised the puppy into the 2 year dog it is now. Her parents (and still do) disapprove of her choice of a pet but let her keep the pup as a bargain for her to do what they want.

Though her parents take advantage of their bargain time and time again, she doesn't regret her choice. Ophiuchus is one of the best things in her world and she loves him more than anything. Carrying him carefully in one arm and her bag in the other, she descended to the lowest level of the palace to exit.

"Ready to go?" Yuuta inquired from the exit where she was leaning against a pillar in her full set of armor. Ophiuchus yipped at the sight of Yuuta and scrambled to be put on the ground to which Celestia obliged. Ophiuchus yipped as he ran around Yuuta's heels while she escorted Celestia outside to the carriage awaiting her.

"Celestia!"

Looking up, Celestia made out Hatsune waving at her from the window of her room, tears streaming down her face as she sadly watched her friends leave. Shaking her head, she waved back and called out in her usual worried tone, "Go back inside. I gave you the night off for a reason. I'll see you tomorrow."

Yuuta had opened the carriage door while Celestia said goodbye and held her hand out as leverage for Celestia. Helping her inside, Yuuta then placed the dog on the ground into her lap where he fit perfectly. Closing the door definitively behind her, she leaped onto the back of the carriage and motioned for the footmen to start the journey.

" _You're as small as a peanut to fit inside my heart…"_

"Wow that line was cheesier than I remembered." Celestia murmured as she popped another handful of popcorn into her mouth, snuggling into the beanbag chair with Ophiuchus sleeping snuggly in her lap. A series of similar breathes came from Wendy who was now sleeping soundly in the beanbag next to her. They had finished all their work earlier and had decided to do an all night rom-com marathon despite having school the next day. However the latest Wendy have ever stayed up her entire life was 11 PM which she passed out at exactly on the dot after two Disney movies and halfway through the episode of Strong Girl Bong-Soon. Looking over at Wendy's sleeping face, she decided to wrap up for the night and sleep early for once. Carefully moving the puppy onto a safer spot on the beanbag with a small blanket thrown over it, she then walked over to her flat screen television and rubbed the ears of the white cat, Carla (Wendy's cat) resting in the cat bed next to it. Once she turned off the television with a press of a button, she walked over to Wendy. Hooking her arms under Wendy's knees and back, she carried her to her bed where she laid Wendy comfortably in the comforter and drew the blankets over her shoulders, tucking it gently under her chin.

Once Wendy was snug in bed, Celestia cleaned up the rest of the snacks and then turned off the lights in the room. Closing the door gently behind her, she softly treaded down the hall to the last door where loud music and screaming came from. Knocking on the door with her elbow, she then softly kicked the door open and stepped inside without waiting for authorization. "Hey I just came to leave some of our leftover snacks for you to finish." She laid the bowls of popcorn and chip down on the coffee table next to Natsu who was screaming bloody murder as he was deeply engaged in a virtual gun battle.

"Thanks Ce. I was starving." Natsu replied shortly as his fingers jammed the buttons on the controller in his hands. As the seconds trickled down, Natsu seemed to get more and more intense, curses leaving his mouth in a flurry but with a big smile on his face. The buzzer sounded an end and Natsu threw his controller in rage, swearing in a more enrage manner. Not wanting to get caught in another revenge plot for Natsu, Celestia started to back out of the room, "Well, don't stay up too late. I'm going to go to bed now-"

Natsu grabbed her wrist as she took two steps away and pulled her into the sofa, right onto his lap, a pleading look on his face. Shaking her head, she pushed against Natsu's hands which held a firm grip on her waist, "Natsu I swear let go of me. I don't want to get caught in another vengeance match that is none of my business."

Whining sounds came from his mouth and Natsu's hold on her tightened as he wrapped her into a bear hug, "Please play with meeee! Sting that asshole beat me and I can't stand how how how-" He got to a loss of words. Sighing, Celestia filled in for Natsu's incompetence, "Arrogance. He's arrogant." Natsu snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Yes exactly. You hate him too so it shouldn't be a problem."

" _Non_." She refused in French and crossed her arms in defiance.

"Please! I'll do anything you want." He pleaded and placed his hands together in a praying motion, "I'll give you a ride home for the rest of my season and yours no matter what."

"..." A moment of silence passed over her and Celestia let out a big sigh as her resolve broke. Holding her hand out, she requested firmly, "Hand me a controller."

His devious grin spread his face and in two minutes, Celestia was positioned for battle on the other end of the sofa with her own controller and headpiece and was signed in as Player 1 as opposed to the personalized nicknames of the other players. However she turned her mic up as she didn't want to speak and instead listen to the conversation going on between the players.

"Square up, Sting Eucliffe because you're not going to win the next match."

"Speak for yourself, Flame Brain because I'm on your heels."

"Gihi you guys should pay attention elsewhere. The dark horse may take this round.'

"I'm out of all of your leagues right now. No one can beat me but I'd like to see you try."

Her eyes scanned the list of names and pieced them together with the recognized voices through the headset. _"Salamander" is Natsu. "Iron_Dragon" has to be Gajeel. "xxIceDemonxx" must be Gray. Oh God Sting must be "light_#1". Jeez what a narcissistic nerd. There are five players excluding me but I didn't hear four voices speaking… Must be Sting's quiet older brother. Hatsune's partner, Rogue Cheney. "xshadowx" must be him. I like his name. Not too cocky. Quite cool in my opinion._ She thought as she practiced maneuvers on the controller, mashing the buttons in a series.

"I'm so ready to crush Gray and Sting and everyone!" Natsu cackled as he stared intently at the screen as the seconds counted down.

 _We can hear you, Idiot. You didn't turn up your mic._

 _What makes you think you can end me, Flame Brain. You didn't even beat me in that run during tryouts today._

"Shut up Ice Princess. I totally stole that ball from you just when you were about to make that goal." He growled and stared harder at the timer which said ten seconds left on the timer. Celestia rolled her eyes at the trash talk passed between them. Leaning over, she wrapped her lithe fingers around his mic to muffle it and pulled it closer to his eyes. "Hey for me to win I need you to make yourself a bigger target for me. As a "noob" they'll want to take me out first for easy points." She explained and Natsu made a fist and pledged, "Oh course I'll do anything for my _nakama_."

"Where do you pull this cringey lines?" She murmured and leaned back into her seat just as the last three seconds ticked down, starting the match. "They're not cringey. They're cool!" He retorted and pulled his mic down, immediately starting to trash talk the others again.

A buzzer rang to start the match and a banner came across the screen to announce the map level. Delighted with the map choice, her lips were smirking as it was her favorite map which she holds a legendary score on. The map is a city with a main square to rain terror on and smaller buildings around it to hide in. Another buzzer sounded for the start of the event and all the players spawned in a random point in the smaller buildings.

"Whoever's a man come and face me in the center! I'll show you guys whose number one! Especially you Sting!" Natsu roared and immediately sent his player towards the main square. Immediately in her ear piece, she heard aggravated responses from the other players and knew that they would go after Natsu in the center making them easier targets. Her only problem now is Rogue. She knew he was as hot headed as them but she wondered how much this game meant to him. Would he be a follower or will he aim to win?

Sneaking behind them, she quietly and steadily made her way over to one of the buildings near the edge of the battlefield in the center where they have started shooting each other already. Despite Natsu being a dense idiot, he coincidentally made it easier for her to shoot by positioning himself in front of her building, bringing all of the competitors with her. She quickly noticed the amount of players which were five. _So he's a follower this round? This is going to be easy work._ With her fingers carefully rolling over the buttons, she positioned the muzzle of her gun along the windowsill.

Profanities flew and screamed from her headphones as all the players were eliminated almost instantaneously. Shots after shot was fired and not even Natsu was spared which made him glare angrily at her and he would have sold her out if she didn't shove her foot in his face to shut him up. All the other players rue vengeance but was unable to deliver since they couldn't pinpoint who did it. None of them could believe it was the noob "Player 1" who obliterated them. Shots were now careless shot as they quickly tried to eliminate each other to catch up to the top player. The same tactic was used over and over again as the boys foolishly kept fighting against each other instead of teaming up against her. A buzzer sounded for the end of the five minute match and Celestia let out a whistle of approval as she ranked up a new high score on the level. Letting out a yawn, she threw the controller on the cushion next to her and kissed Natsu on the top of his head as a "good night".

"I'm going to head to bed definitely this time. Don't try to stop me." She warned and made her way to the door, energy drained. "Hey wait! Why did you betray me like that? I thought I was your comrade!" Natsu complained and cried crocodile tears, betrayed by her actions. She looked back with her resting bitch face and raised an eyebrow at his behavior. "Well I thought you wanted me to win against Sting so I assumed I should take as many points as possible." She deadpanned, not feeling a shred of regret.

"But I'm your familyyyyyyyyyy." He screeched and pouted his lip in defiance. "Gajeel's your family and you swore to annihilate him." She threw back a crosscheck and with that defeat, she left the room back to Wendy's where a warm bed awaited her.

 _ **Author's Note**_

So this will be the last chapter I am uploading. Please give me your thoughts of what you, the reader, thinks of the story and I am open to criticism.


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